


Kisses Cost Extra

by MagicGirlWrites



Category: Calzona - Fandom, Grey's Anatomy
Genre: Calzona, F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-14
Updated: 2017-09-11
Packaged: 2018-10-31 14:42:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 22
Words: 52,326
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10901475
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MagicGirlWrites/pseuds/MagicGirlWrites
Summary: Arizona Robbins just found an invatation to her ex-girlfriends wedding and she needs a date- fast! When Teddy suggests she hire someone to be her date, things heat up when Callie Torres shows up on her doorstep. Can she have feelings for someone that she paid to be her date? And what if Callie isn't just her date but something else altogether?





	1. Chapter 1

“Hey! Mail is here! Ah crap!” Arizona heard her roommate Teddy come through the door then a large clatter of things being dropped, she was going to guess that was the mail. “Oh my god! There's all kinds of crap back here, Arizona! Wait here is the electric bill we lost, we paid that right?”

“It's an automatic deduction Teddy, we don't need the bill to come, we should have them make it paperless and save a tree,” called out from her room. 

“Oh hey, this looks important and it's for you.” Arizona came out to find Teddy on her knees under the table they had next to the door, yanking out junk mail. “There is all kinds of mail back here, we must have dropped it back here accidentally ,” teddy said shoving some envelopes at her.

“Hey this is a wedding invitation! I love weddings,” Arizona ripped open the invitation and Teddy watched as her face changed colors, going from her happy pretty pink hue she normally was to a slighter unhappy shade of greenish white.

“So? Who is it?”Teddy had finally gotten the last of the mail and looked up at her friend from the floor, wondering just who could have caused such emotion.

“It's my ex girlfriend Kate, she's getting married,” Arizona walked through the apartment looking at the invitation and slumped down in the sofa. “Crap, it's this weekend, well I guess I won't be going to that,” she flung the invitation onto the coffee table just long enough for Teddy to walk by and scoop it back up.

“So….Kate,” teddy sat back in one of their chairs and looked over the invitation. “Hey this isn't too far, you could go to this. It's at that really pretty winery we went to with Sloan and Addison that one time, remember? And they had all those amazing wines and we got super drunk?”

Arizona wasn't saying anything to Teddy because she was thinking about Kate. She and Kate had dated for a long time, as long as anyone she had ever been with and Kate had finally broke it off with Arizona because Arizona didn't want to get married. Ever. This had caused problems for a long time, Kate wanting to change her and Arizona not wanting to change until finally one day Arizona had come home from work to find boxes in the living room and a sad Kate sitting next to them.

“Well? What's the deal?” Teddy asked drawing Arizona out of her thoughts. 

“We dated for a long time, I was in love but apparently not enough to marry her. She wanted a lifetime of commitments and I didn't.”

“Why?”

“What? Why not marriage? I don't know, I think it's just….I grew up gay, and for a lot of us, it was never on the table, I never thought I was going to be able to get married. So in my mind I figured the one I ended up with, would be the one because I knew she was the one. Not because a judge or a priest said so.”

“But you can get married now.”

“Yeah, but I don't need to get married to know that I love someone and want to spend my life with them. I want to be with that person because that's all I can think about is being with her.”

“And Kate wasn't that person?”

“Apparently not since Kate is marrying Sarah!” Arizona laughed then looked at the invitation again. “Maybe I should go, she was sweet enough to invite me….no, I don't want to show up alone. It would just prove her point.”

“What point is that?”

“That I'm going to end up old and alone!” Arizona laughed as she said it then picked up the invitation off the table. “That's what she told me, “Arizona if you continue you like this you are going to find yourself unmarried, living alone with a cat.”

“Well you live with me and we don't have a cat so she isn't even close to being right.”

“I'll let her know.”

“You should hire someone super hot, and bring her as your date.” Teddy said causing Arizona to break out in laughter.

“What like a hooker? I don't need to prove a point that bad!”

“Not a hooker, but there are places where you can hire someone to be your date. It's on the up and up, it's for professionals that don't have time to date but need someone for awards and weddings. I know someone.” 

“Wait! What? What do you mean you know someone?” Arizona couldn't believe she was asking this.

“My friend Jeremy owns a site where you can hire someone for the night to be your date. You call him up and tell him what you need and he finds you the perfect person. Come on! This could be fun! You show up with this super hot chick on your side and she is your date for the wedding.”

Arizona blew out a puff of air, and let it sink in. It was pathetic of her to even consider it.

“No, no way am I doing this,” Arizona was shaking her head as she stood up and walked back to her room.

“Jake!” Teddy yelled from the living room.

“Jake? Jake what? The guy you brought to the winter awards ceremony? What about him? I liked him, he was nice and seemed super attentive… wait! Nooooooo!” Teddy was just nodding her head.

“Look I can't find a guy to take on more than two dates let alone someone good enough to go to major events with. I want someone to grab me a drink, make sure I don't need my wrap, things like that. Jake was perfect for that, nice arm candy, and no one knew.” Arizona just stared at her friend then walked out of the room.

“No way! No, I'm not that desperate!”

“Neither am I!” Teddy yelled from the other room causing Arizona to walk back in.

“I'm not saying you are...it's just...i'm Arizona Robbins! I can get any girl I want! I don't need to hire someone,” she said matter of factly, nodding her head then walking back into her room.

“Last time you dated someone more than a month?” Teddy called from the living room.

“What?” Arizona came back in and sat down.

“Name the person you last dated for longer than a month and if that person was Kate, then you hire someone.” Arizona sat and looked up at the ceiling thinking. There had been a slew of one timers. Single dates, that ended poorly or weren't fun. A couple of dates that had led to more than one, but often it was Arizona that was too busy to pursue the other woman. She needed to be in a relationship with someone that was willing to do a lot of the work. Not that Arizona slacked, it's just that she was busy at work most of the time, and she needed someone that was willing to plan also. She couldn't be responsible for their entire dating life. 

“Waiting…” Teddy said pulling Arizona out of her thoughts and giving her a deflated look.

“Fine….what's the number?”

 

Xxxxxx

“Come on! Let's fill this out,” teddy said sitting down in front of her computer. “Jeremy says he will match you up quickly but we have to fill this out.”

“I have no idea Teddy, what do I say?”

“Well you can pick anything you want, why not pick your dream girl.” Arizona rolled her eyes at her friend and grabbed a bite of her apple.

“I don't even know what my dream girl is….ummm, how about smart, that's important….and a good personality and…”

“Arizona! Come on, this isn't what you tell your mom you're looking for, this is what you actually want. You can spend the weekend with a super hot woman of your choice and you are talking about personality characteristics.”

“God Teddy, I have no idea….brown hair?” She asked questioning her friend.

“You say it like you are asking me, so you like women with brown hair?” Arizona made a scrunched up face while she thought about it.

“Not really. I like raven hair,” she said blushing to her friend. She felt a little odd being so specific about a woman with Teddy.

“There ya go! R-a-v-e-n hair,” she plucked at the keys while she talked. “Okay, what else?”

“Hmmm I really have a thing for dark brown eyes oh and tall, I like tall women.”

Teddy made an approving face as she continued to type and made note of what sorts of questions she might want to ask Arizona later.

“And smart, I want to be able to carry on a conversation with her if I'm going to have to spend the weekend with her…. and….oh never mind.” Arizona looked at the invitation in her hand.

“No, what? Come on this is important.”

“I….don't like bone skinny women...I like curves on my women,” she said with a little nod.

“Wow, this is...this is very informative. Curves.”

“What?” Arizona saw how Teddy was looking as she typed and grew defensive with her friend. It was true, if she was going to get to pick, she was going to tell them exactly what she wanted and if she got to pick the woman of her dreams then she was going to go all out.

“Nothing.” Teddy had her falsetto voice on now and Arizona knew she was lying.

“Oh just say it Teddy, I mean here I am, being open and honest about the woman I'd like to spend the weekend with, and you are making fun of me.”

“No, no, not making fun just...impressed.”

“Why?”

“Well, I'm impressed that you want a woman that isn't super skinny. That's really cool, I only date men and we all know how men are about that and it's just super cool that you aren't so stuck on the norms of society. The things you are asking for are...impressive asks. I just want to say on behalf of women everywhere, gay and straight, thank you.” Arizona stared at her friend for a second trying to figure out if she was serious and when she finally saw that she was serious she let out a deep breath.

“Sure.”

“Okay...ummm, let's see,” teddy typed a few more things, “anything else?” Arizona suddenly became a little panicked. What was she doing? This was crazy! There was no way she was going to go through with this, it was stupid.

“No! Delete it all,” she jumped up from her chair and tried to grab Teddy’s wireless keyboard, but the other blonde was too quick.

“Hey!” She yelled and took off with the keyboard, running to the other side of the couch while Arizona tried to jump over, but teddy was too quick. She held the keyboard up in the air and with one quick click. She pressed enter, which caused the application to be sent. “Too late, it's done, better get packing Arizona, you've got a hot date this weekend,” teddy walked out of the room with a very satisfied look on her face while Arizona stood with her mouth open.

“Call him! You said he's your friend, call him now and cancel!” Arizona was speaking in loud voice now but Teddy was just laughing, there was no way she was going to let her talk her way out of this.

“Not a chance! You're doing this, now go pack,” teddy pointed towards Arizona's room before she put the keyboard back in place and walked out leaving the very stunned Arizona Robbins, rapidly blinking her eyes, trying to decide if what had just happened was a good thing or not.

“Oh crap,” she muttered to herself, then walked towards her room, stunned at what had happened.


	2. Chapter 2

Callie was carrying her last stack of boxes up the stairs when she looked and saw her friend Jeremy sitting on a chair typing on his phone. She rolled her eyes, he was supposed to be helping her but he seemed to be on his phone more than carrying anything today. Which wasn't necessarily true, but she was becoming increasingly cranky as the day went along and she needed someone to blame. Moving was giving her some anxiety and now that she was here, she was starting to panic a little.

But she vowed she was going to get it right this time. This move. This was it, Callie had moved across the country, deciding a fresh start was just what she needed. She had left behind family, some good friends, some good enemies and of course, her girlfriend. 

Ex girlfriend to be exact. She hated that prefix. Ex. It made things seem so final and so….incomplete again. Callie felt like she had a lifetime of failures and her latest breakup was just another one of those. 

But this time she was going to get it right, the new job, new city, new apartment everything was new. She wasn't going to do anything to screw it up, she was going to throw herself into her work and there was no way she was going to allow herself to date for at least….one year. No, that probably wouldn't work, even she could admit that, but she wasn't going to let herself fall in love. 

“Hey! I'm not paying you to be on your phone!” She said dropping the boxes by the door and heaving out a loud breath. She dropped her head and put her hands on her knees, she was exhausted and was wondering why she hadn't hired someone to move for her. This was stupid.

“You're not paying me anything,” he said continuing to type into his phone without looking up at her.

“You got that right, not with you sitting all day.”

“Please, I've carried boxes all afternoon, and you know it. Besides my friend Teddy was sending me a new client that needs a date for the weekend and I just wanted to get a jump on it,” he was looking at his phone then back up at Callie then back at his phone and made a strange face.

“Are you still doing that job? Is that even considered a job? I mean if you're filling out an application what do you put? Pimp? What was the point of you workin for my dad all those years if now this is what you are doing?”

“I am not a pimp and you know it, and I have a very large clientele now of people that use me. And I will forever be grateful to your dad for helping me out,” he stared at her and wondered how to approach this, it was going to be tough, and he would have to do it just right so she didn't freak.

“I mean who hires you? Like this one that just came in, what is it?”

“It's a female doctor here in town, she has to go to a wedding for the weekend and needs a date, it's her ex and she wants someone to take that will make an impression. She doesn't have time to date because she is a surgeon, I'm sure you know what that's like, and she is looking for someone to show up with that will be beautiful and wow the crowd, so to speak.”

“Okay, so she's looking for a date, what is she looking for?”

“Tall, dark, smart, wants the person to carry on a conversation, you know...the normal sort of person,” he said and waited a moment, “oh and it has to be a woman.”

He waited as he saw her wheels turn, he knew what she was thinking.

“She wants a woman?”

“Apparently.”

“Hmm,” she picked up the boxes she had sat down and carried them into her apartment.

“You know….oh nah,” he called and grabbed the boxes he had by the door and brought them in.

“What? Were you going to suggest I go out with this woman?”

“What!? Why would I suggest that?” He feigned innocence but she knew better.

“I am not going to go on a date with this woman.”

“No one said you had to. And it's not a date, it's an arrangement.”

“Nope, I know what you're trying to do and the answer is no,” she pushed her couch over and grabbed the cushions that were in the box next to it, arranging them.

“I'm not trying to do anything, you just think I am. She asked for a woman, raven hair, brown eyes, tall, smart, curves were important.”

“Wait. Curves?” She stopped moving the pillows and looked up at him and he nodded. “No way,” she shook him off and walked into her bedroom with a box marked kitchen. A few seconds later she came out with a purpose and looked at him. Then walked back in her room again.

“I'll pay you $3000, she shows up Friday afternoon, drives you up, separate bedrooms, and she brings you home Sunday afternoon.”

“$3000?! That's….damn that's a lot of money,” she came back out and sat at her counter in the kitchen. “No way, I don't need the money,” she got up and went back to the hallway grabbing boxes marked bathroom and dropping them in the kitchen. He had her rattled, he could tell.

“It's at a gorgeous winery up north, they have amazing wine and you get to hang out with a beautiful blonde all weekend.”

“Wait, how do you know what she looks like?”

“She submitted a picture,” he showed her his phone, and saw her face change as she looked at it.

“Damn,” she whispered staring at the beautiful blonde with blue eyes. “Wait, what's wrong with her? No one that beautiful is single.”

“Teddy is roommates with her, they both work at the hospital. She said Arizona is very nice, she just got the invitation today and doesn't want to show up alone, this being her ex and all. So Teddy suggested she use my services since I could find her someone suitable in time. So what do you say? You want to go with her this weekend? Honestly you'd be doing me a favor because where else am I going to find….well, you. She basically described her perfect woman as Callie Torres.”

Callie looked at Jeremy very skeptically. Should she do it? She was new to the area, hadn't made any friends yet and she had nothing to do for the weekend. It could be fun, getting dressed up and going to a wedding with a beautiful woman and drinking amazing wine, let alone the fact she was going to get paid some good cash to do it.

“What if she's a real psycho?” Callie finally asked after she had been staring at the picture.

“I do a background check on everyone and I'll even call Teddy and ask some questions if you want. Come on, seriously Callie, you would be doing me such a solid here and who knows, you might have fun. Besides you still owe me for getting you out of that mess in Vegas and not telling your dad!”

Callie chewed on her lip as she considered it again. This was crazy, just the sort of crazy things she always did and got herself into trouble. She was always getting caught doing the dumbest things, and this would be right up there. And he was right about Vegas….she did still owe him for that. 

“I'll do it,” she told him and grabbed a piece of paper. “Okay give me all the details.” 

Xxxxxxx

“Arizona!!! Jeremy found you someone and damn girl….she is hot!!” Teddy yelled at her roommate who came scrambling out of her room, trying not to look too desperate but really excited to see just who Teddy’s friend had found her.

She stared at the computer screen. Well yeah, that'll work was all she could think. Teddy glanced up at her friend and saw a slight flush grow over her then gave Arizona a little smirk. She could tell Arizona approved of her.

“Damn...um, well yeah, that's ummm, good. What's her name?”

Xxxxxxxx

“Hold still I have to take a picture of you,” Jeremy was yelling at Callie but she was avoiding him with her hands up in front of her face and running from him.

“Oh hell no! I've been carrying boxes all day, I'm dirty and sweaty and gross, and I have no makeup on. Can I forward you a pic,” she grabbed her phone off the table and started to open it and saw she had eight missed text messages from her parents and sister.

“What? No one cares that you have been working all day, just let me get this.”

“I'm not kidding, don't do it,” she waved her finger in his face then started to scroll through some of her recent selfies. “Ah! There, this one is perfect, I'm even showing a little cleavage in it,” she smiled and sent the picture to him, it was one of her on the beach over the summer, she had a bikini on, was very tan, sunglasses and she had to admit, she looked hot in the picture. She had been with her ex on vacation, and looking at the picture made her sigh.

“Okay yeah that's good,” he said uploading the picture. “Alrighty, name?” He asked and started to type.

“Wait! ….what if she is nuts and I don't want her to find me after. Do I have to use my real name? Can I use a fake name, or do I have to use my actual name?”

“You don't have to use your real name, if you don't want to.”

“Okay then, ummm how about Calliope Taurus? That's good right?”

“Sure,” he said typing in the name and rolling his eyes.

Xxxxxxxx

“Calliope Taurus,” Teddy told her and Arizona scrunched up her face.

“What kind of name is Calliope? It sounds like a stripper,” Arizona asked looking at the picture of the woman on the screen again. She appeared to be at the beach, she was smiling and had on sunglasses in the picture making it hard to see her entire face. “Scoot over,” Arizona shoved Teddy out of the chair and sat down looking closely at the picture. “What's that in the background?” She asked shoving her face right up to the screen.

“What? I don't see anything,” Teddy told her noticing what she was seeing, there was definitely a strip club in the background.

“There! Right there! What's that say? Big Toni’s? Does that say Big Toni’s? It does! Oh my god she is a stripper!”

“Arizona! She is not!”

“Look right here, It says Big Toni’s and there is a half naked woman on the banner! Thursday night is free wing night. Oh my god she's not even a good stripper, she works at one of those places with free wings. Call and cancel!” She spun the chair around in a panic.

Xxxxxx

“Okay this might make you a little self conscious but we need some specs about you. I'm going to ask you some questions and you answer them. First question is age.”

“34,” she told him as she picked up her new kitchen and answers his questions that he fired at her.

“Occupation?”

Xxxxxxxxx

“This says she is...a consultant,” Arizona looked at the screen as she read about her date. “Consultant? What does she consult on?”

“I could ask him if you want,” teddy was now kicking herself for this. She had somehow gotten drug into Arizona's personal life, something she normally stayed away from. They had been living together for long enough and seen enough women coming and going over the years to not question her roommate or her choices but it had become very apparent early on the woman wasn't looking for any sort of commitment. But now she found herself in the thick of things with her as they tried to navigate the weekend.

“Want,” Arizona nodded.

Xxxxxxxx

“She wants to know what you consult on. I told you that wasn't going to work.”

“Well I didn't want to say I was a doctor since she is a doctor, what if she looks me up?”

“Why do you keep assuming she is crazy?”

“No one else would use this service. Only crazy people would.”

“Then why would you agree to it?” Callie shrugged and thought about it for a second.

“I'm a glutton for punishment. And you brought up Vegas again which always makes me cringe.”

“Seriously we need an actual occupation for you.”

“Hmmm…”

Xxxxxxx

“Teddy!” Yelled at her friend as she looked at her phone. “Did you know that if you google “things to put on your resume if you're a stripper” the first response is “consultant”! Email him now and cancel.” She said smacking her friend on the arm.

“One, stop hitting me. And two, why?”

“What do you mean why? I'm not this person! I can't go away for a weekend with a stripper! Especially if it's for Kate! What if someone recognizes her!”

“Hey! Seriously so what if she is a stripper, it's a profession and a legitimate one, and honestly that picture of her, she is hot. Are you telling me right now that you wouldn't want to get a lap dance from that this weekend?” Teddy said Pointing at the screen. Arizona looked back at the screen at the beautiful woman staring back at her.

Xxxxxxxx

“Just leave it as consultant for now, I'll cross that path later. Tell her I'll be waiting Friday, but where should I have her pick me up? I don't want her coming here, I should meet her somewhere. How about the airport that way I can leave my car there.”

“Okay I'll tell her.”

Xxxxxxx

“Pick her up at the airport? What? I mean….the airport? Oh my god, because it's right by the strip clubs, she is an airport-free-wing-Thursday stripper. This is what I'm doing now, I'm going away with this woman. Like this is my new normal now,” Arizona walked away from the room and slammed her bedroom door. 

Teddy stared at her friend and the door shut before she looked back at the screen. She was really pretty, there was no question about that.


	3. Chapter 3

Callie was standing in front of the American Airlines terminal, where she had told Arizona to pick her up, holding all her items for the weekend. Her palms were sweating and she was nervous. Well, to be honest, nervous was an understatement. She was well past being nervous and at the point of anxious even. She saw a car approaching with the blonde behind the driver's seat, Arizona pulled up to the curb and got out of her side.

“Hi,” she said with a perky voice, and walked towards Callie extending her arm. “I'm Arizona and you must be, Calliope?”

“Hi, it's nice to meet you Arizona,” Callie said grabbing her hand.

Arizona stared at the woman, she wasn't just beautiful she was a knock out and the way she was dressed, was out of this world. Arizona had told her they had a cocktail party to go to when they got there and they might not have time to get to their rooms before so they needed to be prepared to go right to the party. It was too bad nothing was ever going to happen between the two of them, because Arizona wouldn't turn this woman away in another setting.

Callie was wearing a very short, black cocktail dress, with a scoop neck, adorned with sequins and black heels. If they were at a bar, Arizona would cross the room to speak to this woman, there was no doubt in her mind. This was absolutely the type of woman she would love to date and have the opportunity to get to know better. 

“Would you mind opening the trunk?” Callie asked taking note that the other woman had been checking her out. She gave her a smile and saw Arizona catch herself then run to the back.

 

“Oh, of course!” Arizona scooted to the back of the car and helped Callie load her things in, while they were trying to get the suitcase in, Arizona and Callie found themselves bumping arms while trying to get things situated. Arizona was dressed in a short red dress with a tiny amount of cleavage showing, that Callie caught a glimpse of when she bent over to unlock the trunk. Too bad she was probably crazy, Callie loved a woman in red.

 

They finally had everything in the car and took off down the highway.

“I thought we could use this time to get to know each other,” Arizona told the brunette just as she was pulling a book out, she shoved it back in her bag and looked up at the blonde. She really was stunning, her eyes were more beautiful than the picture she had seen and when she smiled she had the absolute cutest dimples Callie had ever laid eyes on. And of course, Callie had to admit, she was a sucker for a blonde. “So what do you do?” 

Arizona had been dying to know what the woman did, she wondered what sort of answer she would get and the only way to find out was to just ask.

Callie thought for a few second before answering, then she made a face like she was weighing her options. “I'm a consultant.” She finally told the blonde, turning away from her. This was going to be hard, even though Callie was a little concerned that they might run into each other after this and if that happened then so be it, but for now she wanted to keep some anonymity between them. 

“What sort of a consultant are you? Is this your only job? Or do you do other things?” Arizona asked clearly annoyed with the response she had gotten. She wanted to know what this woman did for a living and if she didn't find out she was going to go crazy. Her mind had been going wild for the past few days and now she finally was next to the other woman and wanted to know.

“Arizona, I’d really like to keep our relationship as professional possible if that's okay with you, I will be whatever person you want me to be this weekend, but you have to tell me what you want,” Callie had turned to Arizona and was staring at her as she spoke. 

All Arizona could do was think, what did she mean by that. She pulled out her phone and sent a sly text to Teddy, whom she had promised to keep updated as the weekend went along.

A: she wants me to tell her what I want!!

T: okay…..

A: does she mean sexually?

T: I think she means how do you want her to act. Super touchy? Attentive? PDA for the weekend when others are around. Ask her

Of course. She would just ask her, that was easy enough.

“So for the weekend I think we should probably hold hands, and there will probably be some dancing so you will have to be close to me then…” Arizona was trying to think now.

“Oh, sure, that's sounds fine, but no kissing!” Callie said with a big smile. “Kissing costs extra!” She turned her head and looked out the window, but all Arizona could do was look at her with shock on her face.

A: I don't think she's a stripper!!

T: of course she isn't.

A: I think she might be a hooker!!

“You know, we'd be a lot more likely to arrive safely if you would stop texting and driving at the same time,” Callie said smugly looking at the woman that was driving with one hand and her other hand updating on her phone. “Facebook friends need updates that badly?”

“No, I just left behind some important patients and my resident was updating,” lie, but it worked for the moment. 

“Oh, that's right I think I was told you were a doctor, what kind are you?”

“I'm a pediatric surgeon,” she told the brunette proudly and watched as Callie’s face dropped after she told her. 

Damn, there is a good chance they could run into each other, was all Callie could think. She'd have to ask which hospital she was at, at some point, or this could get really sticky.

“So what is our story going to be?” Callie asked changing the subject and looking over at the blonde, who immediately scrunched up her face. “We need a story, when we met, how we met, maybe something cute to go along with the story.”

“Oh…” Arizona let out a big breath of air, she hadn't even considered this.

“I suppose it would help if you told me what you want me to be. I could pretend to be anything you want, I'm very good at role playing,” Callie had spent her under grand working in the theater at school and loved her time there. How Arizona took this was completely different. 

A: she's a hooker! I just know it. She just told me she loves role play!!

T: she's not a hooker….but that could be a very fun weekend if you really thought about it

Arizona glanced back over at the brunette that was looking at her own phone and typing.

C: she keeps texting and driving, she's going to kill me

J: ask her to stop, you could get hurt

C: I already did. She keeps asking what I do for a living.

J: just tell her you're a doctor.

C: that's a negative. Find out what hospital she works at

J: no way. I'm not calling Teddy, she and I went out on a date and I accidentally told her I wanted to have kids

C: yeah that's not weird

J: I didn't mean right then! I thought we were talking about ourselves, I over stepped. Now I'm avoiding her.

C: great

“So I could pretend to be a lawyer, I've spent a lot of time around lawyers,” Callie told her putting up her phone and glancing at the blonde, her sister and mother were both lawyers, so she had spent a lot of time in her mother's office as a child as well as the court room. “And courtrooms, I could sell that easily.”

A: she says she's spent a lot of time around lawyers and in the courts!!! She wants to pretend to be a lawyer

T: let her do it.

A: what if she botches this??

“A lawyer huh? Sure you could pretend to be a lawyer.”

“Great. Oh! Are we trying to make this ex of yours jealous? Or is this just us showing up?”

“No on the jealous, she was a really good friend and I have no reason to make her jealous, but I would like to make a good impression this weekend.”

“Good to know, okay then we need to work on our story,” Callie told her as she took out a notebook and started to write things down. “How about we met at a bar? Do you go to bars? Does that make sense for you to be in a bar and meet me?”

“Yeah, that would make sense,” Arizona nodded as she watched Callie write something down in her notebook. 

“And how about I approached you? Asked you to dance?”

“No, I approached you, it makes more sense,” Callie rose her eyebrows as this; dominant. Interesting. 

“Okay, bar you approached me…and asked if you could buy me a drink.” Arizona nodded as she agreed. “then we danced the night away? And the rest is history?”

“I don't want to get married.” Arizona blurted out.

“What?”

“If it comes up, I don't want to get married, that's why Kate and I broke up, because I don't want marriage. So if people start asking when are we getting married we need to both be on the same playing field with that.”

“Okay, no marriage,” Callie wrote that down. “Why?” She asked pulling her head up and looking at the blonde.

“Why what?”

“Why don't you want to get married?”

“I just don't believe in it, I don't need a church full of people to tell me my love is worth a lifetime. I can do that all on my own. Why? Do you want to get married?” Arizona laughed slightly as she asked the question then saw hurt on Callie's face when she said it.

“Well..yeah, I do. I can't wait to get married, I'd love to come home to the same person each night, share a dinner, put the kids to bed, cuddle and watch Tv then fall asleep. I mean it's a dream right?”

“Kids too?” Arizona was shocked that this woman wanted these things.

“Of course. I'd love to have a whole house of them, running around, making messes. No kids for you either?”

“No, that's a definite no. Write that down,” Arizona said pointing to the paper. She spent her days and nights with kids and really had no desire to be a parent. It wasn't one of those things she longed for when she was a child. When she was a kid she hadn't taken a baby doll and pretended to be her mother, she had always taken the baby doll and pretended to be a doctor. That was her dream.

Callie wrote these things down as they drove along and suddenly she felt the car putter. She stopped writing and looked up.

“No!” Arizona yelled and slapped the steering wheel causing Callie to jump. 

“What's going on?” Callie asked as the car started to slow down.

“This car...I took it to the shop because it kept doing this and they assured me they fixed it, but now it's doing it again!” She said as they came to a complete stop on the side of the road. Callie just stared at the blonde as she hit her head on the steering wheel repeatedly.

“Arizona?” Callie asked quietly pulling the blonde out of her thoughts.

“Yeah?” She had stopped hitting her head and was just letting it rest on the steering wheel now.

“Pop the hood, let me have a look,” Callie jumped out of the car. Arizona's eyes flew open and she watched in amazement as the brunette walked around the car. Arizona popped the hood button and saw Callie open it up then she saw her walk to the driver's side and reach in.

What Arizona saw next actually made her mouth drop open. Callie leaned in under the hood, one foot firmly planted on the ground while the other was sticking up in the air as she leaned into the engine. This might have been the sexiest thing she had ever seen. It was straight out of a pinup magazine the way she was standing, with her heels on and dress. 

“Damn it!” She heard Callie yell as she jumped back from under the hood flinging her hand. Arizona jumped out of the car and went to her aid at once.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah, yeah, I just can't quite reach the cable that is unplugged. It's hot under there and I'd hate to hurt my hands, they are my livelihood,” she said wiggling her hands in the air.

“Cable?” Arizona asked looking in the car at the engine.

“Yeah, that one..right there, it came in plugged,” Callie pointed into the engine at the cable that was hanging.

“Is that normal?”

“No, it isn't but it looks like you have something nibbling on the cable, see right there? I'd take it back in and show them, you might have a mouse living in the car. It's probably made the cable loose and after you drive it, it comes undone.”

“A mouse!?” Arizona was beyond embarrassed as the woman told her she had a rodent living in her car.

“Yeah, sometimes they get in during the winter and live in the car because it provides shelter and also a lot of warmth when the car is actually running. We need to wait a few minutes for the car to cool down then I should be able to pop that hose right back on,” Callie leaned up against the car, arms crossed and waited for the engine to cool.

A: she says she depends on her hands, they are her livelihood

T: yep. She's a prostitute.

A: really!?!? Do you think so!?

T: no. Stop texting me this crazy stuff

Arizona looked back up at the brunette, she looked relaxed, she even had her eyes closed as they stood and waited for the car to cool down enough for Callie to fix it. 

“Are we going to miss the cocktail party?” Callie asked opening her eyes and looking at the blonde that was staring at her. She found the woman doing that a lot. 

“Ummm,” Arizona glanced at her phone for the time and scrunched up her face. “We are going to be close, we won't have time to check in at the hotel that's for sure, it's a good thing we are dressed for it.”

“Let me try again,” Callie said turning and reaching into the car and trying the cable again. Arizona watched as Callie maneuvered her hand under the various car parts and was able to work the cable back in place. “There, perfect, we should be able to go again,” Callie told her as she slammed the hood on the car.

Arizona scrambled to get back in the car and started it up, then gave Callie the thumbs up.

“That was amazing, Calliope!” She told her as the brunette got into the car. Arizona noticed she did that super sexy thing where she sat down and then swung her legs in. She found herself having a hard time not staring at the legs that belonged to the other woman, they were something of a masterpiece there was no doubt about that. 

“Thanks, I've spent a lot of time around cars,” she told her and grabbed her list so they could finish up their interview questions. “How long have we been dating?” Callie asked as Arizona drove down the road again.

“Ohhhh I hadn't thought about that, let's see, how about six months?” Arizona looked at her.

“No, I say at least eight, maybe even ten, I don't know that I'd bring someone to a wedding that I'd only been dating for six months when I didn't believe in marriage. We need to be pretty established with each other.”

“Good point. Okay so how about nine months? Sound good?”

“Good,” Callie said writing it down. “I'm a lawyer, just a small corporate lawyer.”

“Corporate law? Do you know enough about corporate law to sell that? How about criminal law?” Arizona offered up but Callie only continued to write on her paper.

“Criminal law? No I can sell the corporate thing besides no one even knows what corporate lawyers do.” 

“Do you know what a corporate lawyer does?” Arizona asked and almost smacked her own hand as the words came out of her mouth.

“I'm not even going to justify that with an answer. Next up, let's see,” she took the pencil and tapped her lip with it as she thought about other questions. “Do we live together?” Callie asked.

“Oh, yes let's say we do.”

“Great,” she wrote more on there. “Are you really good friends with anyone here besides Kate?”

“No, not really, why?”

“Kate is going to be busy, she will make time for you but overall not that much, maybe five minutes here and there. We really only have to be on our A game when we are around her. Our stories are important but if don't see much of her the rest of the people won't ask too many questions.” Arizona nodded along as the woman spoke and was surprised at how thorough she was.

“Very good point. So when we are around Kate we will have to make sure we stick to the story but the rest of the time, we should be okay.”

“Exactly. I think we can do this, and trust me arizona I am never anything if not professional in all settings.”

Callie gave the blonde a big smile, but Arizona was still fixated on all that she had learned about the brunette over the drive. There was no doubt in her mind. This woman was a professional all right. A professional prostitute.


	4. Chapter 4

Arizona pulled up to the hotel and handed her keys to the valet while she watched as the other attendant helped Callie out of the car. She seemed a natural as she extended her hand up and he guided her out of the car. Arizona took notice that everyone was staring at the brunette, she turned heads that's for certain. Her black dress was perfect for the cocktail party and Arizona noticed she now had a matching clutch, as she crossed over the driveway to meet up with Arizona. 

Callie immediately placed a hand on the small of Arizona's back to gave her a little nudge to get her going but instead it stopped Arizona in her tracks. It had been awhile since she had been intimate enough with someone to have that sort of connection with another person.

“I think we should start now,” Callie explained when the blonde looked at her. “I need to touch up my makeup do you mind if we stop at the restroom?”

“Of course not,” Arizona started walking with the hand on her back and the brunette occasionally bumping into her as the walked. The whole thing was very comfortable she noted and blinked a few extra times as she tried to bring herself back to reality. Having the brunette close to her, this close, was certainly not a hardship, and she found herself constantly checking the other woman out.

Callie popped open her clutch and pulled out some makeup and started to apply her mascara, Arizona couldn't help but notice the clutch and when she looked in, she could clearly see condoms in the bottom. While she had personally never used one, she did know that foil packet anywhere. 

A: she has condoms in her purse!

T: why are you going through her purse?

A: I'm not, I just saw them in there. What does that mean?

T: that she wishes to be disease free. Give her the benefit of the doubt please! You aren't even trying.

Arizona glanced back over at her date and watched as she applied the lipstick. Yeah, this was almost too good to watch. Callie oozed sex, and Arizona found herself in a bit of a conundrum with the woman. While she found her beyond beautiful and would love the chance to get to know her, she couldn't help herself when she kept going back to the fact that the woman was...if nothing else, an escort. She was carrying condoms in her bag, which add her pause. She supposed it meant the woman was active with men. She hadn't considered the woman's sexuality up until this point? Was she even into women?

Callie glanced over at the blonde and saw her staring again. She did that a lot, Callie noted. 

“You have a smudge,” Callie told her and leaned into Arizona, getting as close as they had ever been up until this point as Callie gently wiped right under Arizona's eye at the black smudge from her mascara. Then, she leaned in a little closer and blew very gently on the eye of the woman, trying to clean up the mascara. 

Arizona was mesmerized as she stood still and let the brunette be so intimate with her. She couldn't help but be completely turned on right now as the woman was being so gentle and kind with her. She couldn't help herself when her hand reached out and landed on the hip of the brunette, slightly pulling her closer, their faces were but a few mere inches from each other and once the brunette stopped blowing on her eye, she turned her head and their lips were almost touching. Arizona rapidly blinked a few times then pulled back, looking at the brunette that was trying to catch her breath.

Callie hadn't meant for the moment to go the way it did. She wanted Arizona to make a lasting impression tonight and just wanted to help her out in any way she could. The woman was absolutely stunning and needed no help but she wanted to be there for her at every step. She knew how important it could be to have your head held high when you saw your ex again. Especially in a situation such as this where there was a new love and a wedding. But when Arizona turned her head and their lips were so close to each other's, it took every single ounce of willpower that Callie had not to kiss her. She had been noticing things about the blonde that afternoon and she certainly liked everything the blonde had to offer, she was smart and beautiful, carried on a good conversation. Apart from her very bad texting and driving habit she hadn't found much to complain about the woman up until this point. 

Callie pulled back from the woman and put all her things back in the clutch before looking at the blonde in front of her. Damn she was beautiful, it was too bad that she was going to have to keep her hands off.

“Come on, let's get you in there,” Callie said, grabbing Arizona's hand and pulling her along. It wasn't until they were walking through the lobby that Callie get the hand in her own and noticed how she loved the feel of it. Arizona's hand fit perfectly in her own, fingers linked as they walked across the lobby. “You ready for this?” Callie asked as they reached the door.

Arizona looked up at the brunette and nodded her head. She noticed that Callie was holding her close, she was playing the part very well, maybe too well, because Arizona knew without a doubt she was attracted to this woman and that was a very bad thing. 

“I'm ready,” she nodded her head and watched as Callie opened the door and walked in next to her.

Arizona scanned the room and saw a few people she recognized from being with Kate for so long. They had dated for around two years so the friends and family that would be here were people Arizona knew, but wasn't actually friends with. So most of them she wouldn't need to speak to, but along the way she knew a few would probably stick out more than others. She saw Kate standing just a few pods of people over and when Arizona entered the room she saw Kate look at her right away, she gave Arizona a little smile and wave then turned back to her group.

“That her?” Callie asked and received a nod from her. “She's pretty,” Callie told her, “but she's got nothing on you that's for sure,” she gave Arizona a smile.

Arizona tried to figure that out for a little too long. Was she just being nice to her when she said things like that? She was really good with flattery but that was part of her profession, she was trained to do things like this. But when Arizona looked at her she couldn't help but think the woman was being sincere. 

“Thank you Calliope,” Arizona gave her sweet smile, wanting to believe she had been earnest when she said it, and let herself think that. She wanted this woman to actually think she was beautiful, not telling her that because she was paid to do so.

“Arizona?” They head and turned to see Kate and a woman that must have been her fiancée, Sarah standing in front of them.

“Kate it's so good to see you,” Arizona said and leaned in for a small hug from the woman. Callie and Sarah stood still giving each other obligatory smiles while the other two women caught up.

“How've you been, Arizona?”

“I've been great, congratulations on getting married, you must be Sarah,” Arizona turned to the other woman and extended her hand to her. 

“It's nice to finally meet you as well, Arizona,” Sarah told her and Callie caught the dig. They had obviously talked about Arizona, probably discussing the fact that she didn't want to marry. Callie placed a hand on Arizona's back, to give her the courage to muster through this, knowing she would need it.

“We weren't sure you were going to be able to make it,” Kate told her.

“Oh yeah it was funny because I just got the invitation the other day, my roommate had dropped it and we just found it.” At the word roommate Callie gave her a little squeeze on her back and Arizona realized her faux pas when she said it. Damn.

“Roommate?”

“I meant my girlfriend, this is my girlfriend Calliope, also my roommate.”

“It's nice to meet you,” Callie extended her hand to both women and watched as they sized her up.

“Girlfriend huh? Good for you Arizona I'm glad you have found someone. And what do you do Calliope?” Kate asked. Callie took note that the woman was not her cup of tea. She was slightly condescending towards both of them and found it hard to believe Arizona had been in a relationship with someone so cold.

“I'm a medical consultant,” she said and saw Arizona flip her head towards her. This wasn't the plan. The plan was she was a corporate lawyer. Why was she changing things up?

“Oh that's interesting, is that how you and Arizona met?”

“It is, I was consulting on a pediatric case and we met, and it was love at first sight”

We took notes!!!! Arizona was screaming in her head at the brunette. Callie felt Arizona stiffen as she spoke and knew she was throwing a loop at the woman. But she noticed that both Kate and Sarah had on matching necklaces that were the cadeceus, the symbol of Hermes or the symbol for doctor. She was afraid that she might eventually know both of these women in a professional setting and how would she explain down the road why she had lied saying she was a corporate lawyer. She had to think fast and told them her real profession.

“What sort of consulting do you do?”

“I'm an education consultant with a specialty in Orthopedic surgery, which is how we met, we had a special case on a child and that was it for us. How about the two of you? What do you do?”

Kate flipped her eyes to Arizona quickly wondering why she hadn't spoken of her in the past. Arizona however was on high alert as Callie spoke, what she was saying was bad, bad, bad.

“I'm an orthopedic surgeon as well, I'm surprised I haven't heard of you,” Kate said looking closely at the woman. “What did you say your last name was?”

“And what's your specialty?” Arizona asked loudly at Sarah trying desperately to change the subject.

“I'm a cardio surgeon,” she told her and the four stood still for a moment.

“We should let you go,” Arizona told them. “I'm sure you have a lot of people to talk to still.” 

“Thanks for coming again, Arizona and it was nice to meet you Calliope,” she gave the brunette a look again, staring for just a second too long, one that actually made Callie take a gulp. What were the chances that this woman was also an orthopedic surgeon. She'd put two and two together sooner or later and realize just who Callie was. It was lucky they had made names for themselves on opposite sides of the country, but Callie was well known, using her full name was probably the only thing saving her right now. “Tell your parents thanks again for coming.” Kate said and walked off with Sarah.

“I'm sorry…” Callie started but was dismissed by the blonde immediately.

“Wait, did she say my parents?” Arizona looked up at the brunette with fear in her eyes.

“Arizona!” She heard and turned to see her parents walking towards them. The need to throw up was on her instantly and she also had the need to pass out.

“Oh. My. God. This is bad,” Arizona told the brunette as she watched her parents getting closer. “Hey! What happened to our story? Why would you change our plan? And an orthopedic surgeon!? Are you kidding me? You should have talked to me before you pulled something like that out, Kate isn't going to let that go. You're lucky she didn't press you on theory. Okay quick! My parents. Daniel and Barbara, he's retired military, she's a retired nurse, I have a brother named Tim, oh god this is so bad!” Arizona said and watched her parents finally descend upon them.

“Arizona! Why didn't you tell us you were coming this weekend? And who is this beauty next to you?” Her mother asked sizing up Callie.

This couldn't possibly get any worse, Arizona thought to herself. While all Callie could think was, I wonder when Kate is going to realize who I am.


	5. Chapter 5

“Mom! What are you guys doing here?” Arizona saw the look on her parents faces as they stared right at Callie. Oh this was going to be so awkward.

“Kate invited us but what we want to know is why you didn't tell us you were coming?” Her mother asked looking at Arizona and then at Callie.

“It was a last minute decision to come. Why would Kate invite you to her wedding? That's so weird,” privately Arizona was freaking out. She couldn't believe this, she glanced over at Callie and internally let out a moan. Nothing good could come of this. Callie had already gone off script twice, now in the face of her parents what was she going to do.

 

“Kate sends us updates occasionally on how she is doing which is more than I can say for you. I'm Barbara Robbins,” her mother stuck out an arm for Callie to shake. 

“Calliope,” was all she said causing Arizona to glance at her.

“Calliope? Calliope what dear? Or are you one of those young people that only has one name like Madonna or Cher?”

“Madonna and Cher aren't young mom,” Arizona huffed and glanced at her father who looked bored out of his mind. She wondered how her mom had gotten him dressed up and to the party before the actual wedding.

“It's Taurus, ma'am, Calliope Taurus,” that was going to come back to bite her on the ass she knew it. Maybe she should have just used her real name from the beginning, it was just a matter of time before Arizona figured out who she was anyway.

“It's very nice to meet you Calliope Taurus, and how do you know each other?” Arizona internally was screaming at this point. This is what she got. This was her own fault, she was actually being punished for hiring someone for this weekend and attempting to deceive Kate. Now. This right here was her exact punishment. Her mother interrogating the hooker she hired as her date.

“Arizona and I are girlfriends,” Callie looked at Arizona and gave her a little swat on the butt, causing everyone to jump. “I can't believe you haven't told your parents about me,” Callie stuck out her lip in a fake pout. Arizona had no idea what to do, but it was apparent everyone was now uncomfortable.

“I'm so sorry Calliope, I haven't had time to tell them about us,” Arizona was blushing as she looked at her “girlfriend” who continued to pout. 

“In a year? You haven't had time to tell them about me?” Nine months, nine months, was what Arizona was saying internally. She was doing it again, she was going rogue. “Now Mrs. Robbins,” Callie looped her arm inside the older woman's arm and pulled her away, walking towards the center of the room. “Tell me all about Arizona when she was a little girl, I've been dying to know. Was she as big of a tease then?” Callie knew if she kept things a little over the top, it would keep Arizona's parents just off their game and they might be able to salvage this weekend after all.

Arizona stood with her mouth open as she watched her mother and Callie walk away. This was bad on so many levels. She wasn't sure which person she was scared of the most in this scenario, her mother, or her “girlfriend”.

“I like her,” her dad said with a little laugh as he followed the two women.

“I know her,” Kate said pulling Arizona out of her zone. “I can't remember how, but I know her. Is she Ortho in Seattle?”

Arizona looked at her ex and wondered how that was possible. How could Kate possibly know her escort? Had Kate used the same service? Maybe she was a stripper and Kate had seen her perform? All the possibilities were swarming in her head. “I can't believe you didn't tell your parents about your new girl. That's pretty consistent with how our relationship was too. I see nothing much has changed for you arizona.” 

“It's nice to see you again Kate,” Arizona scooted off trying to catch up to her parents and Callie to keep up with what was happening and to work damage control where it was needed.

“Arizona! Why didn't you tell me you and Teddy weren't living with each other anymore. When did that happen? When we called the other day she was there and answered.”

“It's new,” Arizona told them but her mother immediately reacted.

“But Calliope just told us you've been living together for almost four months?” Her mother said and Arizona found herself wanting to bolt. If she ran right now she could get her car and be back home in just under two hours. Would anyone notice? Probably. Would it matter? No.

“It's new that Teddy moved out,” Callie told them, everyone looking at the brunette when she spoke. “We told her she could stay until she found a new place, isn't that right, sweetie. I mean we've been wanting to make the place ours for quite some time, but we didn't want to rush her out. Though there were some nights when Teddy was wishing she wasn't around,” the last part of that sentence Callie said quietly causing Arizona to cringe.

“Yeah...yup, that's right,” Arizona breathed out. Run. She said to herself again. Just run. 

“And Calliope, what do you do?” Arizona's mother chose to ignore the sex innuendo and jumped right into more questions. 

“Oh I'm a consultant,” she said with a smile. “Can I get everyone a drink?” She needed to have a break. This was all too much. She had already screwed up so much and now she had a bigger story she needed to keep up with. She needed new notes to keep it all straight. The old story was mixing with the new one and she needed to remember which story she had gone with.

“Yes! I'll have a white wine please,” Arizona told her then she had an idea. “Why don't I help you? Mom? Dad? Anything?”

“I'll have a white wine and your dad will have a beer,” her mother answered and Arizona had Callie by the elbow pulling her across the room before the words were all out of her mouth.

“What are you doing?” Arizona hissed out looking at the brunette that was scanning the room. 

“What?” Callie asked. She needed to play this off, pretend like what she had done wasn't as bad as what it actually was. She knew Arizona was furious and she had every right to be. Callie was playing with fire now that Arizona's parents were involved and it was important she tread lightly. 

“You've changed our whole story! And now my parents are involved! My mother is as sharp as a tack, she's not going to let anything by her. You need to tone it down. And why would you tell everyone you are a consultant?”

“I am a consultant,” Callie said matter of factly pointing to the bar tender and ordering their drinks. 

“An education consultant and an Ortho surgeon? Are you kidding me?” Arizona was slightly irritated but Callie didn't like the way she was talking to her either. She was gathering that Arizona didn't think there was anyway those could possibly be true.

“What? You don't think I could be a doctor?” Callie challenged her. 

“I think that you should stick to our original plan, and you veering off in all sorts of directions isn't helping this at all. Can you please tone it all down? I'm wondering how to even save us at this point,” Arizona felt like crying. This all was unbelievably bad. So, so bad.

“I got this,” Callie said grabbing the drinks and taking off through the crowd with Arizona right behind her.

“No!” Arizona went running after her. “No more weird statements. No more telling anyone you are a doctor. None of that? Got it? I'm paying you to be my date! Not ruin this!” Callie stopped when Arizona brought up the money and stared at the woman. 

“Fine,” she said through gritted teeth, and walked back over to the table. “Your wine Mrs. Robbins,” Callie handed the wine to what woman then the beer to Arizona's dad. Arizona watched the woman for a moment and saw her scan the room.

“Calliope, how did you and Arizona meet?” Barbara asked the brunette.

“You should ask Arizona that,” Callie told the woman and continued to look uninterested in her present company. Callie looked over at the blonde and motioned for her to tell the story. What story would she tell? The new one? Or the one they had decided on in the car. Arizona could tell the woman was pouting but for the life of her she couldn't figure out why.

“We were working on a case together at the hospital and then we started dating,” Arizona told them and looked at Callie, she decided at this point she had to go with this story since Kate had already heard it.

“Oh that's nice, a workplace romance, how fun. But I still don't understand why you haven't even mentioned her, Arizona.”

“Mom,” Arizona whispered and made a motion for her to stop asking. She figured if she played it like that, her mom might realize she was embarrassed she hadn't mentioned her so-called girlfriend. It worked, Barbara looked at her husband then back at the girls. 

“Well this wedding is nice, I'm surprised you came since we all know how you feel about weddings,” Barbara said looking at her daughter, who immediately turned two shades of red.

“Mom…”

“I'm just saying the whole reason you and Kate broke up was because you didn't want to get married and now, here she is getting married and here you are, at the wedding. You don't find it odd?”

“Mom…”

“Calliope, what are your thoughts on marriage?” Barbara asked and looked at the brunette.

“Oh I love weddings,” she said and saw Arizona cringe next to her. “I think they are beautiful and magical...for other people, certainly not for me,” Callie ended her sentence with a bomb drop, Arizona's head perked up at the end of her statement and a huge smile adorned her face.

“You don't want to get married either?” Arizona's mother looked crushed at the answer, she clearly wanted her daughter to have a grand wedding in her future.

“No, I don't think it's for me. I mean I've dated a lot and have actually been asked a few times, all men of course, but I don't see myself walking down that aisle.” Arizona caught the “men” part and wanted to ask more questions but she'd have to wait until later to do so. Her biggest question was: is calliope a lesbian? Or was the whole weekend just a part to play?

“Men have asked you?”

“Oh yes, but I am too dedicated to my work. I'm way too busy to get married and have kids, so for me, personally, I don't see it happening.” Arizona was all smiles as she listened to the woman sell her point. It was perfect.

“See. I'm not the only one,” Arizona told her mother and grabbed her wine, taking in the last little bit. 

“Honey, would you like another?” Callie asked sweetly looking at her girlfriend. In all honesty she needed a break from whole scene in front of her. She had to keep reminding herself that she was here as a fake girlfriend to the woman next to her. She had a part to play, and she could do that. But Arizona didn't know about her real life. She wanted to tell her, she wanted to pull her aside and let it all out. Tell her that she was actually a doctor and that she'd love to get to know the real Arizona and maybe spend some time with her. She needed to get ahold of herself.

“I'd love one, thanks,” Arizona smiled at Callie and watched as she walked up to the bar. She was still trying to figure out what was going on with the other woman and what was going on with herself. She was beautiful, and Arizona was very attracted to her, there was no denying that. But could she actually be attracted to someone that was in a less than favorable profession? The answer to that was a hard no. She'd love to think she could get past it, but she knew deep down she wouldn't be able to. 

“She seems nice, very affectionate,” her mother told Arizona and watched as the other woman walked to the bar. Arizona saw her place an order, and check her phone, then she noticed a man sit down next to her and start talking.

Arizona was on full alert now, as she watched Callie speak to the man, laughing and all out just enjoying herself with him.

“Arizona?” She heard and turned to her mother. 

“What?”

“Who is that talking to calliope?”

“I have no idea,” she moved toward the bar. “I'll be right back.”

“The wine here is amazing,” she heard the man telling Callie, his hand resting just next to her hand as he spoke.

“Calliope,” Arizona said with a big smile, then placing her hand on Callie’s back and leaning in slightly, letting the man know, they were together.

“Oh..nice, I don't suppose the two of you are interested in… you know?” He said with a big smile but Arizona was disgusted at his offer.

“Oh my god,” she grabbed Callie by the hand and pulled her away. “Seriously, what is wrong with people? Why would he even suggest that?”

“I think he's had a lot to drink, i'm sure he didn't mean anything by it,” Callie brushed her off. “Look, I think people are starting to dance, maybe we should dance a little, so that they see us together.”

“Oh..right, sure,” Arizona is as still thrown by the man, but Callie grabbed her hand and started to pull her to the dance floor.

“This should let everyone know that we are in a relationship,” Callie said pulling the blonde in close. The song playing was a slow song so Callie nuzzled up close to Arizona, pulling her in. “Whisper to me?”

“What?” Arizona pulled back a little.

“Make it look like we are really intimate with each other, lean in and whisper.”

“Oh, okay,” Arizona leaned back in. “My first surgery was a tough one…”

“What are you doing?” Callie looked down at her.

“You told me to whisper and I wasn't sure what I was supposed to say so I thought I'd tell you about my first surgery.”

“Wow, okay,” Callie shook her head. “Keep going.”

“What you, the big Ortho consultant doesn't want to hear about my first surgery? Too boring for you?” Arizona was smug when she said this and it only caused Callie to become upset.

“It's an education consultant, and Ortho God to you, I'll update the notes later for you. And no, you can tell me about your first surgery if you want.” Callie forgot again that Arizona didn't know she was an actual doctor and thought she was instead just an escort. When she really thought about that it made her a little sad, if she had just been honest with her from the beginning things might be going a little better. She never should have done this, she let Jeremy talk her into this and it sounded fun at the beginning but now….she was realizing this wasn't fun at all.

Arizona looked at the brunette and saw sadness on her face and she wondered what that was for. So she leaned in close and started to talk to her, occasionally Callie would lean her head back and laugh, or cuddle her a little closer. She was good at this, there was no doubt about that. She caught her parents watching them, smiles on their faces, and knew they were buying this. But that made her wonder what she was going to do after the weekend was over. The lies were mounting at this point and she was going to have to have some decisions to make.

“I think this is going well,” Callie whispered looking down at Arizona, and she had the sudden urge to kiss the woman when she saw those blue eyes, staring back up at her. The blonde had certainly gotten under skin, and she couldn't help it when she saw those beautiful eyes calling to her, almost begging her to be kissed. Callie could feel it and she knew Arizona could too, there was no doubt in her mind the blonde felt the pull that was happening between them. 

But then suddenly, Arizona pulled back from her, giving her an almost embarrassed look and glanced over at her parents.

“Maybe we should go check in, it looks like most people are leaving now. I'm pretty tired and tomorrow is going to be a busy day.”

“Of course,” Callie told her, grabbing her hand and walking off with the blonde. Arizona was scared of the brunette, and both of them knew it.


	6. Chapter 6

Arizona approached the counter and looked at Callie who was standing with her back to the counter. Arizona gave the woman a weird look then turned her attention to the clerk.

“Yes I'm arizona Robbins and I have,” she stopped for a second and looked around. Was it going to be weird if they had separate rooms? The answer to that was yes. She wasn't sure what to do at this point. “I have a room reservation,” she told him then he proceeded to look her up.

“Yes I have it here, you are two rooms reserved?”

“No it was just the one,” she said nonchalantly and grabbed her purse to put a credit card down.

“It looks like you reserved two rooms,” he questioned her again but she just shook her head.

“No just the one,” she handed him a card and felt the brunette pulling on her arm.

“Arizona, you said two rooms,” Callie whispered into her ear.

“I know what I said, Calliope; however, my parents are here and they are going to find it very odd we are staying in separate rooms since we live together back in Seattle. This can't be avoided, we are going to have to share a room, and I apologize for that, but I am stuck in a bind here. I'll pay you extra…”

“It's not about the money, Arizona….” Callie really didn't care that they were going to share a room, it could be a little interesting considering the way she felt about the woman, but she also wouldn't mind to have a little privacy from the woman for that reason.

“Then I'm sorry, I don't see a way around this, we are just going to have to share a room, there's no way around it.” Arizona took her credit card back from the man and noticed Callie still had her back to the man. Then it dawned on her...what if she had been kicked out of the hotel for turning tricks. That's it!

A: I don't think she's allowed in this hotel

T: and why is that?

A: she wouldn't show her face in the lobby, she hid from the clerk. She obviously recognized him. I bet she is banned from the hotel.

T: so things are still going well for you i see

A: my parents are here

T: oh god. This is too much!!! Did you introduce them to your hooker girlfriend?

A: of course. She told everyone she is a doctor!! I am going down in flames

T: this is too much. I wish I was there

A: I wish you were here too

Callie was trying very hard not to make eye contact with the desk clerk, she was afraid he would recognize her. And if Arizona had been paying any sort of attention, if she had looked behind the clerk, she would have seen the placard on the wall actually had Callie’s picture on it. It certainly wasn't a huge photo, but it was a photo of her entire family and above it were the words “Torres Enterprises.”

Callie was certain someone would eventually recognize her, but for now, if she stayed out of the lobby, she might be able to pull off the next couple of days. She followed arizona out of the lobby and off to the elevators.

“You're being stranger than normal,” Arizona told her as they went in the elevator. “It's like you are hiding from someone, are you afraid someone will recognize you?” Callie's eyes shot open as the doors closed, she didn't realize she had been so obvious.

“Oh, well, no, not really.”

“Is this something I should worry about? Are you banned from this hotel for some reason?”

“No...not banned, definitely not banned,” Callie told her as they exited the elevator and walked to their room. Arizona opened the door and the two of them walked in.

“Well this isn't going to do, they are going to have to find us another room,” Arizona told her after they walked in and saw one large king bed. “We can't share a bed. Come on,” Arizona started to walk out, but Callie stopped her.

“It won't do any good, this hotel is a Grand Hotel, all the rooms only have king beds.”

“What? What? Who does that?”

“Well it's attached to a winery, so it's not meant for kids. So all the rooms only have the one king bed.”

“Why do you know that?” Arizona asked her, eyes squinting as she stared the woman down.

“Let's just say my knowledge of hotel rooms is vast,” Callie shrugged and grabbed her bag, moving towards the bathroom. “I really need a shower, I hope you don't mind if I take one,” Callie called back, but Arizona barely heard what she said. She was still focused on the “vast hotel room knowledge” that she had left her with.

A: she says she has vast hotel room knowledge 

T: wow!

A: I know right. Maybe I should write all these things down. There's been a lot of them

T: I probably wouldn't do that.

But Arizona had already grabbed the hotel stationery and was starting a bullet point list of the things she knew for a fact about the brunette. 

Reasons why Calliope might be a stripper/hooker

Vast hotel room knowledge  
Carries condoms  
Name sounds like a stripper  
Good at roleplaying  
Hands are her livelihood  
Said kisses cost extra  
Spent a lot of time in courtrooms

Arizona put the pen to her lip and tapped it while she thought. So what if she was a stripper, she asked herself, she was beautiful and so far she had been really good company. And then there was that almost kiss….if Arizona was being totally honest with herself it had been a very long time since she had felt that sort of pull to anyone. She had wanted that kiss. Desperately. But at the last moment she hadn't allowed herself that happiness because of who Callie was. 

Could she see past her being...an escort? She knew she was at least that for sure, the other things were just speculation and her wildly overactive imagination getting the better of her. She didn't know if the other two professions were true or not, but so far what she thought had merit. 

No. She couldn't do it. She was a professional, a doctor, there was no way she could allow herself to fall for someone…. like that. But admitting it to herself made her question her own thoughts. Why couldn't she? It was a profession, as Teddy had pointed out, and just because she didn't agree with it, didn't make it any less valid. And to be totally honest, she herself, was using the woman for the weekend, she had hired her. So how did that make her any less savory than the other woman.

She heard the shower kick on and just moments later she heard the brunette singing in the shower. Her voice was beautiful and she found herself being drawn closer to the door...what was she singing?

“Roxannneeee, you don't have to put on the red light...Roxanne!” Arizona heard the song and took off away from the door like an old of lightning. She looked at her paper, folded it and stuck it in the drawer by the bed. 

It wasn't long before she heard the shower kick off and the brunette finally emerged. Arizona couldn't help but be captivated by the woman. She was adorable, in her sleep shorts and freshly showered. Arizona could smell the mix of shampoo and body wash in the air when she exited the bathroom, the cloud of fog that followed her made her look even prettier. No matter what she did, Arizona couldn't stop staring at this woman. 

“Do you care which side of the bed I take?” Callie asked her and noted that her eyes looked exceptionally tired.

“No, either one is fine with me,” Callie walked over to the bed and started to pull down the covers then gave up and sat on the bed instead. “Are you okay?” Arizona walked over to her and saw she was looking pale, and she wasn't sure if it was because she didn't have any makeup on or if something was wrong.

“Yeah I'm fine, just tired.”

“Okay, I'm going to hop in the shower, I'll be back.”

Arizona took off for the shower while Callie tried to settle into the bed. It was a big bed, but Callie liked to cuddle and if there was a warm body in the bed, she couldn't guarantee herself she wouldn't wake up in the morning wrapped around the beautiful body of the blonde. No, this wasn't going to do at all. 

She hopped out of bed and went to the closet and found extra pillows, then she pulled back the comforter and placed the pillows down the center of the bed. Then she climbed in and pulled the covers back over the bed, she settled in again and looked next to her. That would probably work, but would the blonde think she was weird for doing it? Was she going overboard? She didn't think so, she quickly grabbed her book and pretended like she was reading when she heard the water click off.

“Hey,” Arizona came out of the bathroom and saw the brunette in bed, reading a book then she saw all the pillows in the bed. She wondered what that was all about, but didn't bother to ask. 

Callie glanced over the top of her book at the freshly showered woman and couldn't help but think how pretty she was. She tried unsuccessfully to not watch as the woman puttered around the room then finally came and sat down on the bed.

“I'm going to set an alarm for an early wake up, I promised myself I'd run on this trip, I've been trying to train for a half marathon that's coming up. So if I wake you in the morning, I'm really sorry.”

“I'll be fine,” Callie made more of the half marathon and wanted to tell the woman she liked to run too, but decided not to. She watched as the blonde pulled herself into the bed and curled into the pillows that were between them. Looks like Callie wasn't the only one that liked to cuddle. “Kate seemed nice,” Callie said nonchalantly still staring at her book, not daring to look at the woman next to her, but she heard her give a little sigh.

“Yeah, Kate was..well is… a very nice person.”

“Is she the one that got away?” Callie asked then glanced at Arizona and saw her scrunch up her face as she thought about her answer.

“No...she isn't.” Callie was impressed at the answer.

“I loved Kate, but we just wanted different things in our life.”

“Such as?” Callie sat her book down, now they were getting somewhere.

“I like my life, I like being able to take a week off here and there, going to Spain, drinking sangria on the beach in a bikini. But she didn't want that. She wanted love and commitments, rings and ceremonies, kids and minivans. I didn't want any of that. And I never thought it was fair of me to hold her back.”

“You don't regret it? Breaking up with her?”

“No. Which I think says a lot.”

“Yeah, I suppose it really does. Sounds like it wasn't meant to be.”

They both sat quietly for a few minutes, thinking about past lovers and commitments.

“I just got out of a big relationship,” Callie said causing the blonde to look at her in surprise.

“Really. Why'd you break up?” She was very curious about what would break up a relationship like the one Callie just be in.

“Same thing, we both wanted different things,” Callie said but didn't give up more information, and Arizona could tell the woman sounded sad. “I think I'm going to turn in now,” Callie put her book on the table and flipped off the switch.

“Hey Callie?” She heard Arizona call after a little bit, she said it quietly just in case the woman was already sleeping.

“Yeah?”

“Thanks for coming with me this weekend, it's nice to have someone so easy to be with, it's made it easier for me.”

“No problem, Arizona.”

Callie turned into the pillows, the same pillows the blonde was turned into and let her hand linger on them and she thought it was funny how she had put up the barrier that was keeping them apart, but how desperate she was to rip the pillows away and finally get that kiss in on the other woman.

But she knew that wasn't a good idea at all.


	7. Chapter 7

Arizona woke up before her alarm, and immediately smiled. When she opened her eyes she saw why, at some point both women had turned into the pillows separating them and were spooning the same pillow, knees were touching and their hands were intertwined together, and on the face of the brunette, even though she was still soundly sleeping, was a mirror image of the smile on Arizona's face. 

Arizona looked at the woman and was finally willing to admit that she liked her. She was trying to remember the last time she woke up and a person made her smile like this and warm her heart the way the brunette was doing. She wondered if it was possible for her to pursue any sort of a relationship with the woman. Maybe she needed to give the woman the benefit of the doubt and assume she was only an escort. Or a consultant. She knew she had been jumping to some serious conclusions and it wasn't fair to the brunette.

Arizona let go of the hand that was holding onto her then climbed quietly out of bed for her run. She moved quietly around the room, gathering her things, trying not to wake the other woman. She stopped before she walked out and looked back at the other woman, there was no doubt in her mind she wanted to ask her out on a real date when the weekend was over, she just had to gather up the courage to do it.

Xxxxxx

Callie was having a nice dream about a blonde and sangria when she heard the pounding on the hotel door. She opened her eyes then closed them immediate. It was going to be one of those days, she gently rubbed her temples and heard the pounding again. Looking at the other side of the bed she saw that Arizona was gone, she must have been off on her run, so she let out a sigh and went to the door. She glanced down at herself, a quick inspection then opened it to Arizona's parents.

“Oh Calliope, did we wake you?” The chipper woman asked brushing past her, her husband standing still until Callie gestured and let him walk past her into the room with his wife. Callie saw Mrs. Robbins noting the room then looking back at her. “Where is Arizona?”

“She's training for a half marathon, she's out for her daily run,” good one she thought to herself and tried to get her eyes to adjust to the light. It was blaringly bright this morning, more so than normal.

“Oh, of course, well we just wanted to stop by and see if we could take the two of you to breakfast? We'd love to get to know you a little better and we don't get to see Arizona all that often. When did Arizona leave?”

“Umm, I'm not sure, I was sleeping when she left but I know it was early, she should be back soon.” Breakfast. Nothing good could come of that. First, breakfast with the nosy parents was never a good idea. Second was that the hotel restaurant was not where she wanted to be spending her free time.

“Okay, well how about….” just then the door opened and a sweaty Arizona walked through the door, humming with her earbuds in and swaying her hips a little. “Oh Arizona, good, we just stopped by to invite you and calliope to breakfast, we'll see you downstairs in about an hour?”

“Mom? Wait, what are you doing in our room?” A panicked Arizona looked from her parents to Callie rapidly as she tried to take it all in.

“Is an hour not enough time?”

“Mom, I don't think breakfast is a good idea.”

“Why?” Her dad spoke up, looking uninterested. “We never get to see you and we'd like to get to know your new girlfriend.”

“Fine,” she melted at her dad because he was right. They never got to see her and this new “girlfriend” that she had brought along was probably intriguing to them.

“Fantastic, we will see you downstairs in an hour,” her mother said and walked past them and out the door. 

“I'm so sorry,” Arizona said as Callie crawled back into the bed and pulling a pillow over her head.

“You shower first, I'm not ready,” she heard from under the pillow. Arizona scowled at the woman then grabbed her things before going into the bathroom.

She was going to have to talk to the brunette quickly before the breakfast so they could go over a few things. A quick cocktail then night before with her parents was one thing, but being trapped at a table with them for breakfast was another. Callie had a tendency to go off on her own and she needed to make sure she didn't do it again at breakfast.

Arizona finished up then went back out to the bedroom and saw that Callie hadn't budged, the pillow was still over her head and it didn't look like she had even moved.

“Calliope?” Arizona called out quietly and saw the woman move her legs. “You might want to start getting ready, and we need to talk before breakfast.” But Callie didn't move anymore, causing Arizona to frown as she stared at the body in the bed. “Calliope?” Arizona pushed on her feet a little and heard a moan come from the bed. “So we need to have a conversation about what we are going to say at breakfast.” There wasn't any sort of movement from under the covers. She gave Callie another little nudge on the foot and saw her pull the pillow off her head.

“Whatever you want Arizona, I'll follow your lead this morning,” she pulled herself from the bed and made an audible groan eliciting a sour look from the blonde.

“Are you okay?”

“Never better,” Callie moved across the room, grabbed a few things from her suitcase while Arizona watched her.

“Because you seem a little cranky and I just wanted to know, did I do something? Is it my parents? Because I can't help that..”

“It's nothing, Arizona,” Callie stood up looking at the blonde, Arizona noted she looked bad, her eyes were tired and red, she almost looked like she had been crying. “Just drop it, I have to hop in the shower, I won't be but a minute.” 

Arizona was left with her mouth open, she knew the woman wasn't right, but she didn't know what it was and decided to leave it alone. Instead she finished getting herself ready, applying her makeup and curling her hair while the brunette took a long shower. Finally when she emerged she puttered around, getting herself ready but never making eye contact with the blonde or speaking. Arizona saw her send out a few text messages here and there, but that was the only sort of interaction she was doing with another person.

“Are you about ready?” Arizona asked, grabbing up her purse and looking at Callie while she was slipping on shoes. She had chosen a cute sundress and sandals for the breakfast, it made her look crisp and clean for the morning. Her hair was swept up high on her head in whisper curls that she let a few fall down around her face. Arizona couldn't help but be mesmerized by the woman. 

“Almost,” she grabbed a necklace and fumbled with the clasp, her eyes struggling, she pulled it forward then pushed it away. “Forget it,” she said and threw the necklace on the counter. “I'm ready,” she looked up at Arizona who had a perplexed look on her face.

“Here,” Arizona walked over and picked up the necklace, unclasped it then laid it over the brunettes neck, and fastened it for her. After it was done, she gave the woman a little pat on the back of her neck. Callie had one long lock of hair that was hanging down in the back, and she couldn't help herself when she reached up and helped to tuck it back in. 

She looked at the brunette and saw pain her eyes, she was sure of it.

“You sure you're okay?” Arizona asked but Callie just walked towards the door, and opened it.

“You ready?” She asks, holding the door open, Arizona crossed the room and gave Callie a smile as they exited together.

Xxxxxxxx

“Calliope, where did you go to school,” Arizona mother asked and once again the blonde kicked herself for not having a conversation with the other woman. She wanted to cover this before they got to breakfast but it was too late now. She looked at the brunette that was drinking her water and wondered what was going to come out of her mouth.

“Stanford,” she replied and Arizona cringed, of course she had to pick one of the best schools, she couldn't just say some random state school.

“Oh my, Stanford, well that is a fabulous school, your parents must be very proud of you,” her mother gushed to the woman and Arizona felt herself inwardly roll her eyes.

“You have no idea,” Callie mumbled while she picked at her omelette not looking up at the woman. Arizona kept glancing at her, wondering why she was being so grumpy today, the day prior she had been nothing but a joy, but today a whole new person had woken up in their joint room.

“And your specialty is Orthopedics?”

“Yes ma'am and I'm an education consultant,” Arizona glared a little wondering why she hadn't just left that part out. She kept adding to the abounding lies and it wasn't helping.

“What does an education consultant do?” Her dad asked and Arizona felt a slight panic, she grabbed Callie from under the table but it was too late.

“I go into hospitals that have residency programs and give them a hand where they might need it, maybe their numbers are falling off or their residents aren't performing like they hoped and I step in.”

Arizona left her mouth open as she listened to the woman speak, she was absolutely right, that was exactly what an education consultant did. Callie dug into her food and seemed to be satisfied with her answer.

“Are you from Seattle?” Her mother asked.

“No i'm actually from Miami, I was born and raised there, my family is all still there.”

“Well they must miss you.”

“Oh yeah, they do, I'm very close to all of them, this move is going to be hard on all of us…” and as the words came out she heard herself and cringed. Her stupid brain wasn't working like it should be and now she had really screwed up.

“Move?” Mrs. Robbins asked and Arizona was on full alert, what had she done? 

“Ummm, yeah the move here, when I moved here years ago, it's been hard on my family.”

“Uh huh,” Mrs Robbins nodded her head but didn't look at all convinced as she dug into her food. Callie picked a few more bites out pushing her food around, something that didn't go unnoticed by the blonde. If it was possible the brunette was acting even stranger than normal.

“Mrs. Torres?” They heard and turned to see a man standing behind their table, Arizona looked at Callie and saw her make a face, then looked back at the man. “I just wanted to make sure you are enjoying your stay, is there anything else we can get for you?”

“No, I think we are all good here, thanks for stopping by,” Callie told him trying to shove him on his way.

“I could actually use some more coffee,” Mrs Robbins spoke up holding her mug up.

“Of course ma'am,” the man looked at the waiter staff and nodded, letting them know they were needed. “Again, Ms. Torres if there is anything we can get for you here or your room please let us know.” He walked off and Callie looked back at her food, not daring to look at anyone else at the table, but she could actually feel the burning from the stares coming from the three other people. Instead she pushed her avocados around a little more, and then finally looked up.

“If you'll excuse me, I need to use the restroom,” she stood up without looking directly at anyone and excused herself. She hadn't gotten too far when she heard the undeniable click clack of heels closing in on her, but she was moving fast as she slammed into the bathroom, and into a stall.

“Calliope!” She heard Arizona yell, trying to gain her attention just as she buried her head in a toilet releasing the little food she had consumed. “Oh my god!” The blonde was right behind her, hand massaging her neck as she continued to expunge the food from her system. “Calliope, are you okay?” Her doctoring skills kicked in and she immediately forgot all about the strange man at their table as she turned her attention to the fact her date was throwing up.

“I'm fine, my stomach just is a little upset today,” she told her, lifting her head and looking at Arizona, her eyes looked so sad and the blonde couldn't help but feel there was more going on here.

“You know Calliope, I am an actual doctor, so if you tell me what's wrong I might be able to help you,” the brunette just shook her head at the blonde, not wanting to tell her anything.

“I'm fine Arizona, really, my stomach is just a little upset this morning,” a little? Try a lot, she told herself as she stood up and flushed the toilet. She went out to the mirror and looked at herself, she looked awful, Callie wondered if she was going to be able to pull this off or not.

“Calliope…” Arizona started again, placing her hand on the brunettes arm as she tried to right her makeup.

“Really Arizona, I'm fine, you should go back out to your parents, they will be wondering what's going on and we've got a long day ahead of us,” Callie wasn't having any part of the blonde's sympathy as she turned her attention back to the mirror and began fixing her eye liner.

Arizona scrunched up her face then walked out of the bathroom, unsure that she was doing the right thing. Callie glanced at her as the door shut and took off from the room as soon as she knew the blonde was gone.

Callie spied the man that had been at the table and walked up to him with a purpose, head held high as she cleared the expanse of the lobby.

“I would appreciate it if you didn't address me anymore, if I need something I'll let you know.”

“Of course Ms Torres, it's just that you were recognized last night and when we told your father..”

“You told my father!?” She immediately started to rub her temples, eyes closed as he told her this.

“Wel Ms Torres, we haven't had someone from management here in a really long time and we wanted to make sure….”

“First off, I am not management and secondly, I am asking you to please keep private about my being here. No sending over bottles of wine, no room service, nothing. I want to remain quiet about being in the hotel this weekend. Understood?” She was being stern with the man, but the last thing she needed was her father down her throat. 

“Of course Ms Torres,” he nodded as she walked off the gulped and wondered what he should do about the gifts that had been already sent up to the room.

What neither of them saw was the blonde that had doubled back to grab her forgotten purse and saw the brunette talking to the strange man that worked in the hotel and rather animatedly. Callie was clearly upset as she spoke to the man and then suddenly walked off, leaving him looking rather sheepish. 

She ran into the bathroom, grabbed her forgotten pockbook and made her at back to the table to join her parents and very strange date.


	8. Chapter 8

Arizona noted that Callie was very quiet after the scene in the lobby, she didn't eat anymore and after saying goodbye to her parents, they decided to go back to the room and have a rest. Callie was being very standoffish and while Arizona had numerous questions for her, she chose not to ask them just yet. She figured there would be time later and she would ask them all.

Callie was standing outside their room, waiting for Arizona to open the door, and just as the blonde pushed on it, Callie caught a glance inside the room and cringed. Damn. She thought she had been able to get through to the hotel management, but apparently not. 

“Oh my god!” Arizona said as they walked in. There were two large bouquets of flowers on the night stands as well as a large basket of goodies from the lobby sitting in the middle of the bed. Callie hung her head low and walked into the room behind the blonde that ran to the basket. “What is all this?”

Callie was quick to think, though in hindsight she wished she hadn't. If at this point she had just told Arizona the truth a lot of things would be different but the fight or flight mode kicked in and she decided to fight.

“I complained to the desk about the room, I told them we weren't happy with it, I've heard if you do that you can get free upgrades. I thought maybe we could get a bigger room, but they are completely booked because of the wedding and wouldn't upgrade us. I think they are just sending us thank yours for staying here.”

Arizona narrowed her eyes at the woman then looked back at the basket. There were about eight different chocolates and three kinds of wine, among other things, she really didn't care why they got the basket, she just wanted to try some of the wine. She glanced at her watch and saw it was now eleven, it was probably an okay time to start a little drinking, since they didn't have anywhere to be until two when the wedding started.

Callie watched as the blonde stared at the basket and saw that her demeanor changed as she sized up what was in it. She knew the woman bought it and let out a little sigh.

“Do you mind if I lay down for a little bit?” Callie asked rubbing her neck and kicking off her shoes. She didn't even wait for the blonde to answer as she crawled into the bed and let her body rest.

“Ummm, sure. Are you going to take a nap?” Arizona thought it odd since they had just woken up a few hours prior but she knew the woman wasn't feeling well.

“Just for a little bit,” Callie's muffled voice came out from the pillow. She was face down on the bed and looked quite comfortable the blonde noted. 

“Okay, well I'm going to go on a tour of the vineyards, do you care?”

“No,” came the voice and Arizona shrugged and walked back to grab her purse from where she dropped it when they walked in. 

“Okay well I'll see you in a little bit, get a good rest,” Arizona told her and walked out, giving a last glance back at the brunette in the bed, face down.

 

Xxxxxxxxx

“The band can't make it,” Kate was telling the manager of the hotel, she was in full panic mode. The band had called earlier and due to a pileup on the freeway there was no way they were going to make it to the reception on time. Now she found herself standing in front of the hotel manager, hoping and praying he would have some recommendations for her. 

“I'm so sorry we can try to contact a few local bands for you but I don't know if they are what you're looking for or not.”

“Anything! We have three hundred people we need to entertain in three hours, anyone that is willing to come in is fine.”

“Was there a certain style you wanted to go for?” His questions, while she understood his reason for asking, were annoying, she just wanted someone to show up and play. 

“I'll take anything you can find.”

“You know you could always ask Ms. Torres,” he told her and her face scrunched up. “She's here for the wedding,” he tried to explained.

“I don't know a Ms. Torres, she must be with someone we invited.”

“Oh, of course, she is with Ms. Robbins. Ms.Torres has an amazing voice.” Kate looked at him strangely as she tried to process what he was saying.

“You mean Calliope Taurus?”

“Mmm, I don't know a Calliope Taurus, but Dr. Callie Torres is here with Ms. Robbins and she sometimes performs when asked. She attended Julliard and…”

“Wait, wait, wait, you mean Calliope Taurus is Dr. Callie Torres the orthopedic surgeon? Oh my god, I knew I knew her from somewhere….” her mind was going at full speed as she tried to piece it all together. “But why did she lie about her name?”

“I have no idea, we asked her earlier if we could upgrade their room or do anything to make their stay any better, I'd hate for her to tell her father we did anything other than treat them with the absolute best care we could.”

“Her father?”

“Yes, he owns the hotel, Carlos Torres is the CEO of Torres enterprises. When I heard she was going to be staying with us, I wanted to do everything in our power to make sure…” he was still talking as Kate ran from the room, she needed to find Arizona and figure out what the hell was going on.

Xxxxxxx

Callie was in the dark, still laying down when she heard the pounding on the door. She let out a sigh and decided to ignore it. It was safe to assume that the person was not there for her, since most people knew Arizona here, and so she figured it was okay if she didn't answer.

Then she heard it again and a voice calling out, “Arizona?” Callie groaned, knowing that the person on the other side of the door wasn't going to let up. She sat up from her position and felt like her head was going to explode, but she pulled herself out of the bed and went to the door.

“Yes?” She asked when she opened it and saw Kate on the other side.

“Is Arizona here?” Kate peeked in the room but didn't see the blonde.

“No, she went for a tour of the winery,” Callie told her then started to shut the door. “I'll tell her you stopped by.”

But Kate was quick and thrust her foot into the door to keep it from shutting. “Dr. Torres, I don't suppose she said when she would be back?” Kate asked and watched as Callie's face fell. She knew. 

“She didn't,” Callie said quietly and saw the woman lower her eyes as she tried to figure it out.

“Why'd you lie about your name? No wait I know!” Kate said as she pushed the door open and walked into the room.

“You do?” Callie asked and felt the urge to throw up, she felt sick all around and now this, it just made it worse.

“Of course, I should have put it together sooner, I was stupid to not realize who you were. And really, Calliope Taurus? That was the name she chose for you so I wouldn't recognize you?”

“Ummmm,” Callie was very confused now, wondering what the woman was talking about.

“She knew, I mean she knew! That I had a professional crush on you and so she made you pretend not to be you, I mean, God! What a fool,” she threw her arms up in the air and walked away from Callie who had a shocked look on her face.

“Uhhhhh.”

“I'm so stupid but really….calliope Taurus? That's all the two of you could come up with? Two of the most brilliant surgeons to grace this planet and that's the only name you could think of?” Kate was stalking around the hotel room and stopped in front of one of the bouquets. “These are pretty.”

“Ummmm,” Callie had no idea what she should say, she was a little miffed at the insult by the woman but she also didn't want to call anymore attention to herself.

“I've read all your papers and have been keeping up on you for years, I mean you're a rockstar with a scalpel, everyone in our field knows it. I should have recognized you last night but you were so dressed up I couldn't figure it out. I mean, you looked familiar, but it just wasn't ringing with me at the time. So was it her idea? To change your name? Wait, don't answer that, I don't want to know. Weird though, you know, her dating another orthopedic surgeon, maybe she has a type.”

“Uhhhhh,” Callie was clearly trying to follow all the things the woman was saying but she was failing. She wanted to keep up, but she was having a very hard time.

“Wait… Seattle?” Kate turned and looked at the brunette with a quizzical look on her face. “I thought you were at…” she started but her phone binged and she looks down at it. “Oh that's my mom, I have to go,” she looked back up at Callie. “Tell Arizona this isn't over,” she walked towards the door and let herself out.

Callie stood in the middle of the room and felt nothing but frustration. Frustration with herself and at the situation. Why had she done this? Why had she gotten herself into this situation and how in the world was she going to get herself out?


	9. Chapter 9

Arizona had a wonderful time in the vineyard touring and tasting all their different wines. She noted that it would be an amazing place to bring someone back with her for a romantic getaway. She had been once before, but they only came for the day and hadn't spent much time as they toured a few other wineries as well. 

This was the life she wanted, she wanted to tour wineries on the weekend and sleep in late with her girlfriend, train for marathons and travel to foreign countries on a whim. You couldn't do these things if you were married and had kids. If you were married and had kids you went to soccer games, band concerts and Disneyland. None of those things interested arizona, and she had tried very hard to stay away from them all these years.

Kate had wanted all those things, she couldn't wait to have kids and talked about it a lot. Arizona had reminded her over and over that she didn't want that. She thought the woman had been listening until one day Arizona realized she wasn't hearing her. Their breakup seemed inevitable at that point, a downward spiral from then on as Kate realized no matter how hard she tried Arizona wasn't going to change her mind. 

Arizona looked back at their relationship and saw that it wasn't the healthiest, Arizona did everything in her power to make the woman realize they weren't going to get married and have kids, while Kate did everything in her power to change Arizona's mind. But she was glad that Kate finally found her person, the one that would make her happy and help her fulfill all her dreams. The dreams that she couldn't give the other woman.

Arizona thought briefly of the brunette that was back in her room, sleeping. She had to admit she had a small crush on the woman, there was no denying that, but what was the point. Even if Arizona could get past the occupation of the other woman, and that would be hard to do, she had already stated she wanted marriage and kids. Was it even worth it, in her mind, to allow herself to think about them dating when it would most certainly end with one of them being very disappointed in the other.

Now she was on her way back to the room, she needed to start getting ready for the wedding that was going to start soon. She has stayed a little too long at the wineries and had a little too much to drink, but that was okay, it was going to make this whole thing more bearable.

As she entered the room she was certain she heard Callie throwing up but immediately heard the shower kick on. 

“Hey Calliope?” She waited a minute as she stood outside the door, but didn't hear the woman say anything. “I'm back, just thought I'd let you know, I'm going to get ready, we should be ready to leave in about a half hour.” 

“Okay,” she heard a quiet voice call and wondered if the woman was feeling any better. From the sounds of it, it seemed like the answer was no.

Arizona puttered around the room and got herself ready, changing into her dress and doing her hair and makeup. She finally heard the door open and the brunette came out, her hair was dry, which Arizona was grateful for, she wondered how she was going to get ready so quickly.

“I'll be ready soon,” Callie told her and grabbed a few things before going back Into the bathroom to dress.

Arizona grabbed her purse and changed things over to her clutch then grabbed the gift she had brought and put them both by the door. She stood for a minute and cleared her mind as she thought about what she might need and went back to the bathroom to survey herself. She applied a bit more mascara and looked at her eyes when she saw the brunette appear. She looked amazing and Arizona couldn't help but stare as the woman walked out and adjusted herself in the mirror. 

Never once did blue eyes peel themselves from the brunette as she tidied her makeup and adjusted her hair. And when she sprayed on her perfume Arizona actually closed her eyes when the scent hit her. She opened them to find the other woman staring at her. 

“I'm ready,” she stated while slipping on her heels. While everything about the woman said she was ready for the wedding Arizona couldn't help but notice her eyes. They were glazed over and bloodshot. Callie glanced back at the mirror, when she saw the woman stare at her and grabbed some eye drops, knowing what the woman was looking at. She had meant to fix that and had forgotten.

“Okay, now I'm ready,” she picked up her clutch and walked to the door, waiting for the blonde.

“Are you sure?” Arizona approached the woman but Callie just brushed her off by opening the door. “Calliope, you seem a little off today and if you are sick or……”

“I said I'm ready and I mean it, let's go,” she forced a smile on her face and walked out of the room with the blonde trailing her.

Xxxxxxx

Arizona let glancing out of the side of her eyes at the brunette as the wedding went on. She was fidgeting a lot, and sighing even more. She couldn't figure out what the woman was doing, but it was distracting.

“Are you okay?” She leaned in and whispered to the brunette and when she looked back Arizona couldn't help but notice how green she was. “Because you look sick.”

Callie just looked at the woman as the two women on the altar turned to be acknowledged by everyone. There was a lot of clapping as everyone stood to watch the women walk down the aisle hand in hand, married to each other. 

“I mean you've been weird all day and now I can't help but think maybe something is wrong. Is something wrong? Are you taking drugs?”

“I'm sick. I've been sick all day, I'll get over it. Let's just go to the reception. And no I'm not on drugs,” Callie told her as they exited their row and walked towards the reception together

“If you are sick, you don't have to go to the reception. I'll be fine on my own.”

“I'm here as your date, I promised you a good weekend and I plan on fulfilling my goal to you,” she walked into the reception with Arizona next to her and the two sat down at a table with their names on it.

“But if you don't feel well then you can go back, I don't want you to be here if you're sick.” Callie set her clutch on the table and looked at the woman.

“I get migraines and I take medicine for them but I forgot it this weekend because it's still packed up in all my moving boxes. So I've been trying all day to kick this headache that has been becoming worse and worse as the day has drug along. And I'm sorry. I don't want to let you down but I feel like my head is going to explode.”

“Calliope! Why didn't you say something? I could have helped you out, come one let's get you back to the room,” she stood up and grabbed the woman's hand.

“No i don't want you to miss the reception,” Callie tried to protest, but Arizona was having no part of it.

“I won't miss it, I'll just help you back to the room and I'll come back on my own.”

“It's very nice of you, but I don't want you to miss anything. How about if I just go back on my own? I don't need you to escort me,” Callie was already standing up.

“Are you sure?” Arizona asked and watched as the woman got up to leave.

“I'm sure, thanks for understanding. I'll see you back at the room in a little while, thanks again for understanding,” Callie told her and scooted off out of the room so she could rest.

Arizona watched as the woman walked out and then saw her parents walk in. She got up and went to the bar which didn't go unnoticed by them as they followed her.

“Where is Calliope?” Her mother asked first thing, not how was she doing, was she having a good time, of course they notice the one thing she'd hoped they would ignore.

“She wasn't feeling well so she went back to the room.”

“What's wrong?”

“She has a migraine, apparently had one all day.”

“Is that why she wasn't feeling well earlier?”

“Yes,” Arizona motioned for a double to the bartender, she was going to need it.

“I thought you said you went to the vineyard for a tour?” Her mother looked very confused as Arizona spoke.

“I did,” she took a drink of her bourbon and didn't realize where her mother was headed with the conversation. Too much wine she would later realize.

“I don't understand...you left your girlfriend in the room sick with a migraine while you went to the winery for a tour?” Arizona flipped her head toward her mother in a panic now. She hadn't caught this before but now she was going to have to backtrack.

“Ummm, well i did, but I didn't realize she had a migraine,” there she thought to herself, somewhat convinced she had figured this out.

“I still don't understand...if she had a migraine all day, how did you not notice? I mean, she's your girlfriend, surely you've seen her with a migraine before.”

Crap.

“Umm well, I didn't really notice why she was acting like that because normally she takes her medicine, but she forgot to bring it with her today.” There.

“But you're a doctor. Why didn't you just write her a prescription for more or find another doctor to do it?”

Crap.

“Mom, I didn't catch the warning signs, I failed as her girlfriend today, okay? My mind was in other places and I didn't notice she was so sick.”

“But…”

“Fine, mom, she's not my girlfriend, okay? I hired her to accompany me this weekend, I had no idea you were going to be here and I didn't think anyone would notice but you showed up and she's sick and there. Are you happy? I hired a woman to pretend like she was my girlfriend to attend my ex girlfriend's wedding because I didn't want to show up alone.” Arizona downed the rest of her drink as she looked at her parents then back at the bartender.

“You mean… you….what?”

“I hired her mom.” She motioned again to the bartender but he was ignoring her.

“You mean you hired her? Like a...like a….a prostitute?” 

“Yes mom I hired her like a prostitute. I think she is a prostitute.” She motioned again and the bartender finally got his attention, he nodded and made her another drink, but not before he noticed a beautiful brunette woman standing behind her. He placed the drink in front of her and watched the woman walk off, tears in her eyes.

“Arizona…” her mother hissed at her looking around to see if anyone was listening but by now no one was close by at all. “What were you thinking?”

“I don't know mom… I just didn't want to show up alone, can you see that? Kate and I broke up because I didn't want to get married and I didn't want to come to her wedding by myself. So I hired Calliope to be my date.”

“But honey, why would you hire someone to be your date? You're very pretty and you're smart and…”

“Mommmmm,” Arizona rolled her eyes and took another drink as her mother tried to sell her on her own attributes. 

“Well I just don't understand why, why would you do this?”

“Because mom! I'm thirty-four years old and I don't have a girlfriend nor the beginnings of one and I don't see that changing anytime soon…..I wanted to show up with a beautiful woman not to show up but just to let Kate know that...I'm not a loser.”

“Arizona...Kate doesn't think you're a...loser,” her mother said the last word in a whisper in case someone was listening, “you two were together a long time but you were never...I don't know how to say it...I never once she thought was your one.” Arizona flipped her head fast to look at her mother when she said that.

“What?”

“I liked you and Kate, you guys were nice together and Kate was wonderful but she never made you smile the way I've seen you smile this weekend when you look at Calliope. That's why I'm so surprised that she isn't your girlfriend, she seems wonderful. Apart from the odd behavior of over sharing and occasional smacking you on your rear end, I thought she was the real deal.”

“Why?” Arizona was amazed to hear her mother say this. She couldn't get over that her mother agreed about the other woman.

“Because your face lit up like I've never seen it do before when she was around you. You stared at her and watched her...now that you tell me you aren't girlfriends it makes more sense because you didn't dote on her very much, but the way you looked at her made up for that.”

Arizona was silent as she listened to her mother. Her own mother had aired exactly what Arizona had been thinking and feeling for the past two days. She thought it was just her, but apparently her mom had picked up on it. That meant a lot to her, she knew her mother was good with her intuition. It was certainly something to ponder on.

“Well I still don't see why you had to,” she glanced around “pay someone,” she said in a whisper, “to come with you.”

“I know mom….”

“When were you going to tell me?” Arizona heard from behind her and turned to see a somewhat irritated bride behind her, hands on her hips and looking slightly irritated.

“Ummm, what?” Arizona, on full alert, eyes open wide as she wondered what the woman was referring to.

“When were you going to tell me you're dating Callie Torres?” Arizona opened her mouth, then closed it, then opened it again as she took in what Kate had asked.

“Callie Torres?”

“Yes, I'm sure you thought you were so funny when you came up with that whole Calliope Taurus name, did you think I wouldn't figure it out? I mean I needed a little help to get there but you know damn well I've looked up to her career for years and now I find out you've been dating her? And you were hiding her under my nose? Come on Arizona, I know we broke up but I thought we were at least friends enough to be honest about something like that.”

Arizona’s mind was going a million miles an hour now, calliope Taurus, her date, her escort, her possible prostitute companion for the weekend was actually none other than Callie Torres, the orthopedic surgeon that Kate had gone on and on about all that time. Her article, her talks, she would show them all to a very uninterested pediatric surgeon of a girlfriend, sure she feigned interest for her girlfriend but now, in hindsight, she knew that she wasn't interested enough. She was trying to recall if Kate had ever showed her a picture of the woman and then she realized. She had. There was one article she had written on education in the hospital in regards to orthopedic surgeons and women and how to mentor them to stay in the field, Kate had showed her the article, so excited that there was a picture of the woman she had been reading up on. Arizona could almost see the article now and the picture of none other than, her date.

“Holy crap,” Arizona breathed out and looked at her mother, then her father and back to Kate. 

“Yeah holy crap, you probably never thought I'd figure it out, but I'm disappointed in you Arizona, it was really rude of you,” Kate walked off without another word as Arizona sat with her mouth wide open.

Xxxxxxx

Callie was almost back to the room when she realized she had forgotten her clutch at the table, with the key in it. So after getting almost to the room she had to turn around and go all the way back. She picked up her clutch and saw Arizona with her back to her, at the bar with her parents. She thought maybe she should say goodbye to them just in case she didn't see them again before she left.

Just as she approached them she heard Arizona's mother gasp out...

“You mean you hired her? Like a...like a….a prostitute?” 

“Yes mom I hired her like a prostitute. I think she is a prostitute.”

Callie stopped dead on her tracks as she heard the words from the blonde. Arizona thought she was a prostitute, and she had thought that probably the whole weekend. She felt the tears spring into her eyes as she thought about it and then turned and fled from the party.

She made it all the way to the room and threw open the door. Her head was pounding harder now, as hard as it had all day. She was an idiot for not bringing her medicine with her, it briefly had crossed her mind but she didn't think she would need it. A nice relaxing weekend with a beautiful woman at a winery.

Boy had she been wrong about that.

She went to the bathroom and grabbed a washcloth, ran it under the water and immediately put it on her head. She needed relief.

She went to the side table and flung open the drawer to grab a piece of paper. She figured she could get the concierge to run out for her and get her a few things. And that's when she saw it.

Reasons why Calliope might be a stripper/hooker

Vast hotel room knowledge  
Carries condoms  
Name sounds like a stripper  
Good at roleplaying  
Hands are her livelihood  
Said kisses cost extra  
Spent a lot of time in courtrooms

Written on a piece of paper were a list of all the reasons Arizona was sure Callie was an actual prostitute. 

Callie went to the house phone, made two quick phone calls then started throwing all her things into her suitcase. After she had everything packed she grabbed the money that was in her purse that Jeremy had given her for the weekend. Threw the large wad of bills on top of the note, scribbled something and walked out of the room. 

Xxxxxxxxxx

Arizona went flying through the lobby and into the elevator, but she was preoccupied and never once looked up to see the brunette that had just passed though the hotel lobby doors and out to the valet. Arizona went to the room and flung open the door, the brunette wasn't in the bed, so she ran to the bathroom, she wasn't there either.

Then she saw it, on the nightstand.

“No...no, no, no, no!” She ran to the nightstand and saw her note with the money on top of it.

Callie had found her note. She momentarily cursed herself for being so stupid. Why had she written those ridiculous things down?

Then she saw that something had been added to the note.

I'm sorry that you never saw me more than just a whore. You can have your money back, it was never about the money for me.

Callie


	10. Chapter 10

Arizona was disappointed. Disappointed in the situation, disappointed that Callie had left but more than anything she was disappointed in herself. How could she have been so stupid? Leaving that note out in the open had been remarkably dumb, but altogether forgetting about had been a whole new level. 

She had run to the lobby after she found the empty room and the note and money, desperate looking for Calliope but she was nowhere in sight, she then ran to the valet and looked but didn't see her there either. She went back into the hotel and asked to see the manager.

“Do you know where Ms. Torres went?” She asked him, but he remained tight lipped this time. Not letting on where she had gone, this had come a little too late for him since he had received a rather harsh tongue lashing from the brunette once she found out he had told her true identity to Kate. 

Arizona was at a loss of what to do since the manager wasn't telling her anything, not even if the brunette was in another room or if she had left the property altogether. As she stood in the lobby she looked at the party that was going on and decided she didn't have the energy to go back in, and instead went back up to her room to pack.

Xxxxxxxx

Arizona was grumpy on Monday morning, and everyone knew it. The residents on her ward were scattering when she came around, while they had been under the impression she went away for the weekend it was apparent she didn't have a good time.

“You going to the attendings meeting?” Teddy asked causing Arizona to jump when the woman startled her.

“Damn it Teddy,” she slammed her chart down and walked off down the hall. Teddy let out a sigh, put her head down and followed the woman. She had heard Arizona come in on Sunday, surprisingly early, but the woman never left her room that day so Teddy hadn't had a chance to ask her about her weekend. 

“Would you like to talk about why you're being such a pain?” Teddy asked after she caught up to the woman. 

“Nothing is wrong,” she continued walking, not looking at her friend and Teddy rolled her eyes as the words came out.

“Don't be that girl. Okay?”

“What girl?” Arizona stopped and looked at her friend.

“The thirteen year old girl that wants me to drag it out of you. ‘Oh, Arizona! I'm so sorry you're upset! Please tell me who hurt you’” Teddy said in a high squeaky voice while Arizona glared at her friend and just started walking again. 

“I already told you, nothing is wrong, Teddy,” Arizona told her with great authority as they walked on.

“Fine. So I haven't talked to you, how did things end up with your weekend with the hooker?”

Arizona stopped and pointedly looked at her friend, and there Teddy saw it, her features softened and she could see hurt in her eyes. She immediately felt bad for poking her friend and forcing her to talk.

“Hey, Arizona in sorry, I didn't mean to…”

“I don't want to talk about this weekend, okay? Please? I just…..I don't want to talk about it.”

“Sure,” Teddy complied and opened the door for the two of them to attend the monthly Monday meeting.

Teddy walked into the room behind Arizona, they scurried off to the back where they normally hid in there things. It was a crapshoot as to the sort of meeting it would be, sometimes it went for thirty minutes and other times it could go for two hours. They had learned along the way to get comfortable in case it was the latter.

“Okay people let's talk budgets,” Webber said walking through the door with a large stack of papers in his hands. Arizona looked at Teddy and rolled her eyes, glad they had chosen the back, it was going to be a long one. They all had turned in their budget proposals the week prior and had been wondering when they would find out about them.

Dr Webber went through each of departments asking for budget numbers and how they were doing comparing them to the data they had already supplied and what they had proposed. Arizona was on top of her numbers and he quickly went past her since she didn't have any changes to hers.

“How much longer is this meeting going to last?” Teddy whispered to Arizona, who just shrugged her shoulders and checked her phone for the hundredth time in two days for a text that wasn't ever going to come through. She desperately wanted Calliope….Callie…. to send her a message just letting her know she had made it. She had been overly worried that first night, where had she gone to? She had been so sick and Arizona hated the thought the woman had to pack and leave instead of nursing her ailing head. 

Arizona had a long tongue lashing for herself over the whole thing. She was mad at herself for jumping to so many conclusions. She was mad at herself for allowing the thoughts to get in her head. But she was also mad at Callie. She could have told her early on that she didn't normally escort people. She could have been straightforward that she was in fact a doctor and not anything else. She had to wonder why the woman didn't just say something from the beginning, it certainly would have been an altogether different weekend if she had.

She looked down at her budget proposal and couldn't help but wonder if she was going to get the money she had asked for. She had big plans for the hospital and had put in for a new clinic. It would be a children's clinic, free of charge, she needed the space now and the initial funding, but she was hoping that if she got the okay to start the project she would be able to work on investors. She was also going to need the help of the other surgeons in the hospital, asking them to donate their time when a social case came along. It was going to be a lot of work, but it had been a dream of hers for a very long time. 

“And finally, I'm glad you've all come in ready with your budget needs but we need to talk about education. Our numbers have been sliding and that's on you! You need to be letting the residents and interns take the reigns more. This is their introduction to the surgical field, we need to know in year one or two if they are cut out for this. No pun intended. I don't want to find out in year three or four that they can't even do a basic appendectomy! We have lost our sight here and we need to get our numbers up so that we don't lose our funding. If we lose our funding then you don't get as much of your budget. See how this works?” Webber was certainly in a mood this morning, Arizona looked over at Teddy and rolled her eyes as they all listened to the man speak and lecture them on their teaching. 

“So I've decided we need help. We can't do this on our own anymore, I've hired someone to come in and help us get these numbers back up. We need this, the hospital needs this and most importantly, our students need this. The person I've hired is going to be attending your rounds, your consults and most importantly your surgeries. You are to comply with this and I don't want to hear any grumbling, or complaints or just all around passive aggressive behavior. She is here,” and when he said the word “she” Arizona perked up. No. No. No. “to help us and to help you. So please allow me to introduce you to Dr Calliope Torres,” Dr. Webber started clapping and the rest of the room followed as the door opened and in walked none other than Arizona's date from the weekend.

“Thank you, and let's just leave it at Callie please,” she grinned sheepishly around the room, and let her eyes pass right over the blonde sitting the back. She already knew the woman would be in the room and she as prepared for it.

“Dr Torres is joining us from The university of Miami hospital, she is board certified in orthopedics as well as an education consultant. Her papers on teaching in the hospital are well published and I can't tell you just how lucky we are to have her here.”

Teddy glanced at her friend and saw Arizona sitting with her mouth open, which confirmed her suspicions that this was in fact the woman she had spent her weekend wedding getaway with. A large grin came over Teddy’s face as she wondered how the two of them were going to survive this.

Arizona watched the woman at the front of the room and wished she would make eye contact with her. She couldn't believe that this was the person Webber had hired. She had heard rumors that they were going to bring someone in, but up until now it had just been a rumor. It now appeared the rumor was in fact true and the woman in charge would be the one woman she was hoping to not ever have to see again. Why? She was certain she was being punished now. She thought her parents showing up at the wedding had been her punishment but she was wrong. This was it. This right here was her actual punishment. 

Arizona stared hard at the woman, willing her to look but she never did. She talked about her goals and priorities, none of which Arizona heard, looking at everyone while she spoke. Everyone but arizona of course.

Callie was keeping her voice steady, she actually hated to speak in front of people and this whole thing was way too much talking for her. But she had made notes, lots of notes and had spent all of Sunday practicing. She hadn't gotten out of bed the entire day as she was still slightly sick from her migraine the day before, so she stayed in bed and prepared for her first big day at the new hospital.

She had loved her time in Miami, but here she was going to be allowed so many more opportunities than she had at the old hospital. Here, she was going to get a clean slate and be able to run the program she had written about so many times from the beginning. It was going to be an amazing experience for her and she was beyond excited for the opportunity that was being afforded her.

But, she had a problem, and it was blonde with the most beautiful blue eyes she had ever seen, had amazing runner legs, liked to hold hands when she slept and she was sitting in the back of the room staring at her. While Callie wasn't making eye contact with the woman on purpose she did have good peripheral vision and could see the woman out of the corner of her eyes and knew she was staring. But Callie was doing her best at not letting herself cave and stare back at the woman, which is exactly what she wanted to do. 

No, she was going to enter this new venture in her life with the absolute most professional decorum she could. She was happy to just pretend that the weekend had never happened. It didn't bother her in the slightest.

“So...ummm, that's her. Right?” Teddy whispered as they all for up. The doctors were all surrounding Callie and welcoming her to the hospital, but Arizona was laying back and waiting. She wanted to talk to the woman but she didn't want to do it in front of everyone else. She needed to get the woman alone so they could talk about what had happened.

“Yeah...that's her.” Arizona stared and watched as Mark Sloan approached the brunette and held her captive. He was throwing out all his best charm, big smile, and trying to keep her engaged. Arizona now found herself not staring at the brunette anymore but instead was staring at the man instead. While she and Mark were friends, she also knew his reputation and how much he loved a new woman, especially one that looked like Callie.

“stop glaring at him,” Teddy told her with a laugh, knowing exactly what the woman was doing.

“Well it's just gross, I mean look at him. He's even...god...he's leaning in and whispering in her ear. I mean could he be any more obvious?”

“She doesn't seem to mind too much,” Teddy noted as she saw the brunette place a hand on his arm and laugh, holding her head back as she did. “She's really quite stunning, isn't she?” Teddy asked watching the brunette. She certainly had captivated the doctors already, they were all standing around her, listening as she spoke. 

“What could she possible see in him? He's a man whore,” Arizona stated and looked at her friend then back at them. She saw Callie link her arm in Mark’s arm that was offered to her and the duo leave the room together with about five other doctors hit on their trail. Everyone wanted the ear of the new doctor, and no one wanted it more than Arizona.


	11. Chapter 11

“Sooooooo,” Teddy drawer out as she walked behind a fast moving Arizona down the hall. At one point she pulled out the wheels on her shoes to move even faster but Teddy was persistent and kept up with her friend. “We going to talk about that?”

“What?” Arizona stopped, eyes lowered, eyebrows scrunched up in obvious irritation, arms crossed over her chest as she glared menacingly at her friend that wasn't swayed by her. Teddy was in the military, had fought in the war, her skinny little blonde friend didn't scare her.

“Ummm, the fact that your date from over the weekend just showed up in our hospital and is essentially our boss.” Arizona opened her mouth and then promptly closed it, then opened it again and closed it up, then started walking again.

“She is most certainly not our boss!”

“Mmmmm, I wouldn't be so sure about that. While she isn't our boss in name, what she is, is the person that is going to come in our OR’s and tell us what we are doing wrong and how we can improve.”

“That isn't even close to being our boss,” Arizona was talking over her shoulder to her friend as she walked on.

“Well she is the one that's going to go to Webber and tell him the doctors that are teaching and the ones that aren't.” Arizona stopped and Teddy ran into the back of the blonde, almost knocking them both to the ground. 

“Teddy!” Arizona called out in clear frustration, more about the brunette woman, and less about her friend knocking her over, but Teddy was close so she was going to get the lashing.

“Hey!” Teddy yelled and looked at her friend, grabbed her by the hand and pulled her into the closest on call room.

Xxxxxxxx

Down the hall Callie was standing with a list of patients and residents that were assigned to them. She looked up when she heard the skirmish and saw the two blondes falling over each other. From where she stood they looked to be in some sort of a lovers spat, then she saw taller blonde pull Arizona into the on call room. Callie raised her eyebrows as she watched it happen.

“where you going to start?” Callie turned to see a short woman behind her with her arms crossed and visible irritation in her voice. “I know it's not in my OR.” The woman stood still not wavering as Callie tried to take in what the woman was saying.

“I'm Dr Callie Torres, it's nice to meet you, you can call me Callie if you'd prefer,” Callie tried a different route with the woman flashing her a smile, not her big one, but one that said, let's be friends.

“Dr Miranda Bailey, you can call me Dr. Bailey,” the shorter woman didn't waver at all in front of the new woman, she wasn't going to budge for the woman at all.

“Well Dr Bailey, I haven't decided where I'm going to start just yet, I'm going to monitor the interns and residents for a short period, maybe take them to the skills lab and see where they are then I'll start rounding with them and go from there. I hope that people don't see my being here as a threat, that's not what I do at all,” Callie told her slightly confused that the woman seemed to stand her ground, almost mad at her.

“A threat?” Bailey asked causing Callie to be on alert. “Why would we think you were a threat Dr Callie Torres? You came here to help get our numbers up. Right?” Dr Bailey was very pointed with her questions as she interrogated the brunette doctor.

“That is precisely what I do Dr Bailey, I'm not here to take anyone's jobs away or tell you how to do your job, I'm here for the interns and residents, that's it. I want to help the hospital in anyway I can, that's all,” Callie couldn't believe what the doctor was asking. She got the feeling the doctor thought she was there to assess the doctors jobs, when she wasn't there for that at all.

“Mmm hmmm….” Bailey looked her up and down, and Callie let the woman, but she did few slightly nervous as the short woman glared the entire time, not breaking or wavering.

“I have a proven method that I use on the students, I think you'll see once I get here and set up a routine with them, you will most certainly see a difference.”

“A method?”

“Yes, I call it the Torres Method and I hope that if you all give me the sort of cooperation that I'm going to need, we will all benefit.”

“So what are you a new contract? New hire? New attending? What?”

“I have a short temporary contract with the hospital. My method is to move into the hospital, and hopefully we see results, you all learn from me and then I can move on.”

“So you aren't staying?”

“Well as things are right now, the answer is no. My initial contract is for three months, after that period they can either sign me on for more time or I can move on to another hospital,” the short woman seemed to loosen up as Callie spoke and she could tell she as close to breaking through the tough exterior of the woman, slightly. 

“So after the three months, you leave?”

“Well I'd rather not, but usually I leave. This is the first time I've moved to a hospital for this long, normally I consult for a week or two and then go back to my hospital in Miami, but I have a good feeling about this one, I think I'd like to stay here.”

“Mm hmm,” Bailey seemed to be taking the woman in and Callie was happy because she felt like she had broken through the rough exterior of the woman.

“Hey can I ask you a question?” Callie moved a little closer which caused Bailey to move away. “I saw two female doctors at the end of the hall, one was Dr Arizona Robbins and I think the other was Doctor Teddy Altman, you wouldn't by chance know if they are...you know?” She raised her eyebrows to make a point but the woman just stared at her, a little harder than before, that was when Callie’s verbal diarrhea kicked in. “They looked like they were having a little fight and then they disappeared into an on call room and I just wondered if you knew...I mean that is to say, if you would know if they are...involved?......with each other?..... because it looked like they were….”

“Stop. Stop right there, see this,” she motioned between them, “I don't do this. I don't do personal,” she scowled to make her point and walked away leaving the somewhat embarrassed brunette standing in the hall. “All ya’ll always making everything personal, and meeting up in on call rooms, and elevators….” Bailey spoke as she walked away until Callie couldn't hear her anymore the. Callie looked back down the hall and saw Dr Altman exit the room, straighten her jacket down and walk on down the hall. Callie's eyebrows shot up quickly off her head as she wondered about what was going on. 

Arizona had very clearly said she wasn't involved and was single….or had she? She had talked a lot about Kate and them not dating but Callie had just assumed the blonde was single, which was why she needed an escort. Her parents had asked about Teddy, and Arizona told them she moved out. So they were living together, which might have been why they were so confused.

Was Arizona involved with Dr Altman?

Xxxxxxxxx

“Get inside,” Teddy pushed the smaller blonde into the room with some force. Arizona told herself she was allowing Teddy to push her around like she was. She could have stood up if she wanted to. “Now talk.” 

Teddy stood with her back to the door, arms crossed over her chest, with a no bullshit look on her face.

“Fine. I went with Calliope over the weekend and she might have found the list I made of reasons I thought she was a prostitute. I went back up to the room to check on her and found the list with the money I had paid her for the weekend. And I haven't seen her since.”

“She found the note?”

“Yes.”

“How did she find the note?”

“I'm not sure, but I didn't do a great job of hiding it and I haven't seen her since she left the wedding.”

“She left?”

“Yes.”

“No note?”

“There was a note.”

“Oh, okay what did it say?”

“I'm sorry you thought was a whore, here's your money.”

“It said that?”

“I annotated, but basically yes.”

Teddy stared at her friend then let out a huge sigh and closed her eyes.

“Boy oh boy...you really screwed this up.”

“You think I don't know that Teddy?” Arizona yelled in complete disappointment then threw herself on the bed, arm flopping over her eyes as she tried to find a peaceful moment, but it wasn't going to happen and she knew it. “I mean I see now how stupid it all was but at the time it all seemed so real and she was just….i mean, she was so...beautiful,” she lifted her head up a bit to look at her friend then flopped her head black. “And I couldn't help but be mesmerized by her she was saying all the right things and her clothes and hair and then she got sick…”

“She got sick?”

“Oh yeah, apparently she gets migraines and she had gotten one but didn't want to tell me because she wanted to be a good date.”

“Awwww,” teddy let out a little sigh.

“Teddy!!” Arizona sat up and stared at her friend, and Teddy straightened up real quick. 

“It's just, it seemed nice, you know? She tried really hard to make sure you had a good weekend.”

“Why didn't she just tell me who she was?” Arizona asked quietly then laid back on the bed and threw her arm back over her eyes. “I mean if she had just told me who she was from the beginning...and why did she do the escort thing?” Arizona shot up out of the bed when she asked the second part of her question. “She's a doctor! Why did she go on this...this...charade all weekend? Why would she let me think she was an escort instead of just telling me she is a doctor?”

“I have no idea, I think you're going to have to ask her,” Teddy moved for the door and looked back at her friend as she slumped back onto the bed.

Xxxxxx

Arizona emerged from the on call room to find Alex standing outside of it with a crooked grin on his face.

“Shut up Alex, I was just taking a break,” she started walking down the hall with him trailing her.

“Shut up Alex? Is that anyway to talk to your number one resident? Keep that up and I'll have to tell Dr Torres on you,” the smile on his face was shut down quickly as arizona came to a complete stop and threw her finger in his face.

“One more word Alex and I will send you to the pit for the rest of the week. Got it?” She began walking again and Alex rolled his eyes before he started after her.

“Sheesh, what's got your panties in a twist? I mean personally I wouldn't mind having to have a little one on one time with the new doc, you know?” Arizona stopped again and closed her eyes as she tried not to scream.

“Alex….pit….now.”

“What?! What did I say?”

“Pit!” She pointed behind her as he scoffed and walked off. She needed to clear her head before she sent the entire hospital to the pit. Screaming and throwing a fit wasn't going to work. 

She needed to talk to Dr Torres.


	12. Chapter 12

Callie had plans to spend most of her day observing the students in the hospital. She was sitting back and watching them all. Some seemed very busy, running charts and patients while others were peaking out of on call rooms and straightening their hair as they walked out only to be followed by attendings moments later. And one sole resident was in the pit, she had been watching him for about fifteen minutes when he spied her and she gave him a little wave.

“Why are you in the pit?” She asked him, watching as he worked on a five year old that had clearly broken her arm. The girl was crying while her parents were in near hysterical next to the little girl trying to console her. Alex was holding his own though and seemed to be good with the girl.

“Because my attending is nuts and is punishing me because she had a crappy weekend,” he scoffed as he stabilized the girl's arm. 

“Ahhh, are you with Dr. Robbins?”

“You know her?” His head flipped up to the woman.

“I just assumed since you were so good with the girl you must be in pediatrics, am I wrong?” Good save, Callie, was what she thought as he went back to working on the girl, satisfied with her answer.

“Yeah, pediatrics is what I want to go into, but some days I have second thoughts on it, especially days like today.”

The two worked on the girl, giving her a cast and Callie taught him how to wrap it in a better way so that the girl wouldn't be as uncomfortable. She stood back and watched as he finished up with the girl and she knew that he would use her method again the next time he had a child in.

“Alex! Let's go, I have a case I need you on,” Arizona walked in as Alex was talking to the parents. He glanced at Callie who looked at the blonde and rolled her eyes.

“Alex is learning in the pit today, tomorrow you can have him back,” Callie told the blonde dismissing her, leaving Arizona with her mouth wide open as Callie walked over to Alex where he was discussing the girl and her parents and giving them pamphlets to read over.

Arizona stood stock still not moving as she watched what had just happened. Yes, she had sent Alex to the pit for no good reason today, but she was ready to make amends now and had a good surgery she wanted him to take part in. She glared at the woman that had caused her a lot of irritation since she had met her just days before. 

Alex finished up with the patient and Callie took a moment to praise him for his work, he of course puffed out his chest and showed off all his feathers like a proud peacock, Arizona noted and visibly made herself gag. She knew the man well and praising him that much was the wrong route with him. Callie turned just in time to see the blonde roll her eyes at the two of them which just made her even angrier with the blonde.

“Alex, come on…” Arizona decided to stand her ground, this was her resident and she was going to take him no matter what the other woman said.

“No, we have a eight year old with an irritated stomach, and breathing problems, Alex is going to go and diagnose the patient and then see out her care. Like I said, you can have him back tomorrow,” Callie stood her ground and slightly puffed out her chest a little bit, letting the blonde know she meant business.

“You….you can't take my resident away from me,” Arizona stammered and Alex darted his eyes back and forth between the women, wondering which was going to win but from the sounds of it, it wasn't going to be Arizona.

“I didn't take him away from you, you sent him away because you were grumpy because you had a bad weekend. So since you don't want to teach him, which seems to be an overall problem at this hospital, I am going to teach him today.” Arizona glared and stepped a little bit closer to the brunette causing Callie to swallow a bit too hard and she winced when she did it, knowing she had let the blonde see her flinch.

“I think you know why I had a bad weekend, Dr. Torres, or should I call you Calliope?” Arizona smirked a little knowing she had pulled a big card early in this standoff.

“Well I wouldn't use that name too much, people might get the wrong idea since it sounds like the name of a stripper. Don't you think?” Callie didn't waver a bit and she saw the blonde finally pull back. If Callie hadn't been so busy with the blonde she most certainly would have knocked the smirk off the residents face that appeared when she said stripper, but she didn't have time for him right now. 

“Fine. You want him, you can have him,” she was mad now, Callie could tell and she couldn't help that deep down she was very attracted to the blonde right now. Looking at the little spitfire as she barked orders and tried to bully her way with Callie actually made the brunette extremely turned on by the blonde. Callie couldn't help the tiny smirk that appeared on her face as the blonde yelled at her. 

“Arizona!?” They both turned to see Teddy enter the pit and motion rapidly for the blonde to come over, but Arizona turned her attention back to the brunette and glared at her, especially now that she was taking away her resident.

“You know what? If you are going to come in here and bully your way around with all of us it isn't going to work. You need to know that we have worked hard to get to where we are and it isn't fair for you to upset the way we work.”

“Arizona, now!!” Teddy hissed and called the woman over again and pointing to the ground next to her.

“Fine, I have to go,” Arizona rolled her eyes and glared at the brunette. “But this isn't over,” she told her and walked over to Teddy that immediately wrapped an arm around her shoulder and started whispering in her ear then pulled her along.

“Hmmmm,” Callie mumbled as the two walked off and she wondered again if they were an item.

“Those two, you can certainly tell who wears the pants in that relationship,” Alex grumbled and Callie’s eyes shot up as she thought about what he said, “they are always hanging on each other, you'd think they'd get sick of each other. they work together, live together and always go out together. Not me, I keep my personal life separate from my work life,” he told her and looked up at the woman and gave her a sly grin. “Usually.”

“Don't embarrass yourself,” Callie rolled her eyes and moved on to the patient they were waiting to see. She didn't want to outright ask Alex if they were couple and he hadn't been committed about it either way, but she did want to know. She smiled as she thought about the blonde all worked up earlier and it made her laugh a little. Damn she was going to be a hard one to forget about, because there was no way she was going to allow herself to go there.

Xxxxxxx

“What?” Arizona asked as Teddy pulled Arizona out of the pit and away from the very woman she had wanted to speak about. Teddy threw her arm around Arizona's neck and whispered.

“I found out who Callie is!” She said wide eyed as they walked out and Arizona rolled her eyes at the woman.

“We all know who she is Teddy, we found out this morning, look I have to go,” Arizona pulled out of the grip of the other woman only to be pulled back in.

“No, no, no...you don't know!! I just got a call from my former roommate because she heard we had landed Callie Torres at our hospital and she wanted to know how had we done it? Right? Like it was super big deal, but I thought it was strange because I didn't really know who she was so I just blew it off.”

“Apparently she comes in, fixes hospitals and the returns to her hospital. We all know,” Arizona glanced at her watch then back to her friend. She really had to get going.

“Yeah but did you know that this time she won't be returning to Miami? No matter what.” Teddy gave her a very proud look as she confessed part of what she knew. “It means she left. Like packed up everything she owns and left for good this time. Normally she just comes in for a few weeks and then goes back, but this time she quit and moved here. Her contract might be temporary but she isn't going back to Miami. And besides she broke up with her long term girlfriend before she moved.”

“Wait, her what?”

“Yeah, she had been in a relationship with none other than Erica Hahn for over two years and it seems they broke up and Callie moved here right after the split. They were going to get marrried then one night they got into an argument about a patient and Callie just walked away from her in the hospital parking lot. Erica never saw her again!”

“She what?” Not Arizona was interested….she knew the woman had mentioned wanting to get married, so why would she walk away from it when she had it?

“Yeah apparently their wedding was just a few weeks away and she just walked away from Erica. She didn't say anything, didn't even leave a note! Just packed up all her stuff and moved out here.”

“This is so strange, the whole thing, why would she move here and the go on an escort service for the weekend? Maybe she owes money?”

“Nope, that's the biggest kicker of them all, her family is the Torres family, they own that hotel you stayed at over the weekend. It's why the manager was being so weird with her, it's not because she was banned from the hotel, it's because she actually owns the hotel! They were kissing her ass and she was avoiding them.”

“Wait….Erica Hahn? As in the…”

“Cardio God? Yeah that's her. So the Ortho god and the cardio god were getting married and she moved here overnight and no one knows why..”

Arizona stood with her mouth open as she took on the whole story. It just got weirder and weirder as she learned more about the woman. 

“I still don't get why she would go on a date with me for the weekend after all that. It makes no sense at all. Have you asked Jeremy?”

“God no, I'm avoiding him. The last time I saw home he told me he wanted me to have his kids. That's way too clingy for my on a first date. I faked an emergency call and haven't spoken to him since.”

“Well we do know one thing, she runs for some reason when she gets into a situation she doesn't like. She ran from me this weekend and she ran from Erica,” Arizona glanced at her watch again then back to her friend. “Look I have to go, I'm already late, meet for lunch?”

“Sure, see you the ,” Teddy told her and let her friend leave for her surgery and she wondered if her old roommate had any more information for her. She had told her to find out more if she could. She could already tell Callie was really going to shake up this hospital, she just didn't know if it was for the better or not.


	13. Chapter 13

Teddy was working diligently on a patient trying to concentrate but things kept going wrong. They kept getting leaks and she was continuously having to find them, while trying to keep the man alive that had a family waiting for him in the lounge. She was working as hard and as fast as she could and no matter what she did, she occasionally found herself glancing up to the new brunette doctor in the hospital. She was standing off to the side of the surgery. Watching. Just watching, not saying anything not writing anything, just watching. And to be honest Teddy had just about had enough of it. 

“Dr. Torres, do you have anything you'd like to add?” Teddy finally asked, catching the consultant off guard and pulling her in.

“I'm sorry, Dr Altman? What was that?” Callie blinked rapidly, her eyes the size of saucers as she spoke, unsure what the other doctor was asking. 

“You've been in my OR for two hours now, breathing down my throat as I have struggled with my patient. I want to know if you have anything to add.”

“No, I'm good, carry on,” Callie told her casually and gave her an unseen smile from beneath her surgical mask.

“Then would you kindly leave my OR?” Teddy went back to her patient. “I don't appreciate you being in here, if you have nothing to add I'll ask you to leave so I can give my full attention to my patient,” Cristina was standing to the side of Teddy had a huge smile on her face as she watched her mentor give the new woman the riot act. 

Callie stood still, her mouth open, though no one could tell because of the mask, then she pulled herself together, straightened up her shoulders and put on her brace face.

“Dr. Altman, I assure you I mean no disrespect by being here today I'm just here to…”

“I know what you're here for and I'll ask you to leave now, or I'll have someone remove you,” Teddy made no more movements on her patient and instead stared down Callie, not blinking until the woman cleared her throat and walked out of the OR.

Callie ripped off her surgical mask and hat before slumping against the wall.

“Nobody said this was going to be easy,” she whispered to herself then walked out of the scrub room and down the hall to find another surgery to watch.

Xxxxxxx

“I swear she's everywhere,” Teddy said putting her tray down next to Arizona, who had a perplexed look on her face. “Dr Torres,” teddy explained and Arizona gave a big sigh at the name.

“Was she in your surgery?” Arizona reached across Teddy’s plate and grabbed a handful of her fries, knowing the woman wasn't going to eat them. 

“Yes! I was there trying to save this life that just kept trying to give up on me and there she is...staring at me.”

Xxxxxx

From across the room Callie watched the two women interact, she found it curious the heart doctor sat next to Arizona rather than across from her, and then she saw Arizona eating off her plate. They had to be together, she thought to herself as she watched them interact. They were very familiar with each other and they seemed very content ano happy. But why hadn't the blonde just brought Teddy as her date?

“Hey,” she heard and looked up to see the intern Sadie staring at her. “I just wanted to say, what you did for me today in the ER, that was wonderful. Thanks,” the younger woman had a look on her face that Callie couldn't quite figure out. 

“Oh, sure Sadie, I'm glad I was there,” Callie didn't think she did anything extraordinary, the younger woman had seen a patient that she had diagnosed and Callie helped her follow through with a procedure so when she saw her resident she could explain what she had done. Sadie had seen the whole thing as a confidence booster, but Callie wasn't sure why the younger woman was so excited about something so small.

“It's just,” she looked around and sat her tray down, “do you mind?” Callie's eyes grew and the intern just continued. “I feel like anytime I want to try something on my own, I get shot down by my resident. I'm scared to even offer up a solution, but today you saw through that with me and I just want you to know how much I appreciate it,” Sadie reached over and let her hand cover Callie’s and Callie was amazed that her eyes could actually get bigger. 

Xxxxxx

“Would you look at that!” Arizona hissed to Teddy as Mark and Addison sat down across from them in their usual spots. “She's holding hands with that intern! Is that even allowed?”

“Wait, didn't you sleep with Sadie?” Addison asked Arizona, who flipped her head towards the redhead that was smiling at her and shot her a death glare.

“No, thank you very much, you know I didn't sleep with her...there might have been some….kissing and other stuff, but we didn't sleep together, and that's totally different!” Arizona was still whispering as she looked back over at the newest attending and intern as they held hands and continued to speak.

Xxxxxx

“It's just, Dr Torres for the first time since I came here I feel like someone is actually listening to me, and wants to know what I think. And that just says a lot to me,” the intern was still holding Callie's hand and all the brunette could do was look at the two hands that were touching. Sadie scooted her chair even closer as she spoke and Callie desperately wanted to run, but the hand attached to hers was holding her back.

“It's really nice to hear that, Sadie,” Callie managed to squeak out as the intern was practically sitting on both her own and Callie's chair while she spoke.

“Dr Torres I am going to go to Joe’s tonight please tell me you'll let me buy you a drink. Please. It's the least I can do,” Sadie leaned in, close to Callie, practically whispering in her ear as she spoke.

Xxxx

“I don't like her,” teddy said letter of factly as they all watched the display happening on the other side of the cafeteria. 

“She practically has her tongue in her ear, are you watching this?” Arizona looked at them, all three of the other people had their mouths hanging open as the young intern clearly was hitting on the attending.

“I think she's hot,” mark stated between bites of his apple which caused all three women to pivot their heads from the two women to the man sitting with them. “What? She is. I mean she's at least a ten,” he told them and felt someone kick him. “Owww, did you kick me?” He asked Addison.

“No, that was me,” Arizona told him and glared at him. “You really think she's hot?” She turned back to Callie who was now sitting by herself again and seemed to be very flustered by what had just transpired, she looked up and saw all four of the attendings staring at her, but she chose to make eye contact with only one of them. The blonde haired blue eyed woman that had stolen her heart over the weekend. She gave the blonde a weak smile, but Arizona only glared at her, causing the brunette to gather her things and leave the cafeteria in a flash.

“Hell yeah she's hot, look at her,” he waved towards the brunette as she walked out of the cafeteria. “I mean look at her ass..”

“Mark!!” All three of them hit him at the same time, he practically curled into a fetal position as they pounded on him. 

“You're such a pig!” Addison told him as he laughed and stood up.

“I'm out of here, the three of you have lost your sense of humor since Dr Torres showed up. Especially you blondie, you used to be fun. See you all at Joe’s tonight,” he told them and walked off as Arizona threw a carrot at his head.

“He sucks,” Arizona growled and looked at the other two women. “Are we going to Joe’s tonight? I could use a really big drink, this has been one hell of a week,” she let out a sigh.

“It's Tuesday,” Addison stared at her friend. “What's going on with you? You've been weird since you came back from your weekend away. How was that anyway, weren't you going to an old lovers wedding?”

“Please, can we refrain from “old lover” usage? It's just creepy and weird sounding, and yes I went away for the weekend it was pretty uneventful.”

Teddy started choking and spit her drink of water she had just taken across the table. Arizona gave her a big whack on the back, probably a little harder than necessary to get her point across as she glared at her friend.

“Are you okay?” Addison asked and watched as her friend coughed and picked up her tray to leave.

“Yep…. *cough* never better *cough* see you later *cough*,” she said and walked away.

Addison glanced back at the blonde that innocently stared back her. Addison wasn't easily fooled. She knew her friend was up to something.

“So the wedding, who was it for?”

“You remember Kate, she got married to Sarah, her girlfriend she met after me.”

“Right. And why did you break up?”

“She wanted to get married and I didn't.”

“And it was a nice wedding?”

“Beautiful.”

“Mmmmm, and who was your date?”

“I took….” she looked up at the redhead that was leaning towards her. Damn, Arizona thought...busted. “I met my parents there.” She said quickly but the redhead lowered her eyes and stared at her friend.

“Liar.”

“What!? I most certainly did meet my parents there!” All true she thought to herself and gave Addison a self satisfied look.

“You didn't mention your parents were going to be there and that is most certainly the sort of thing you'd mention because I know your mom would ask about a date….” Addison tapped her finger to her lip as she narrowed her eyes and stared at Arizona. Arizona felt a small bead of sweat on her brow as her friend quizzed her on her weekend.

“Oh! Would you look at that!” Arizona held up her pager that was blaring, “gotta go, tiny humans to save and all, see you tonight,” she took off at a full sprint happy to leave behind her friend. Arizona knew if she stayed much longer she would crack under the pressure. 

Xxxxxx

For the second time that day Arizona felt a small bead of sweat form on her brow. She was in her favorite operating room with her favorite scrub nurse and her favorite anesthesiologist as her favorite resident but her least favorite person in the world was staring at her. Dr Torres was observing her this afternoon and Arizona wasn't happy in the slightest about it. The woman just stood and stared. Watching. Not talking. Not writing. Just staring.

It was the staring that got to Arizona the most. She really wished the woman would just talk, or give her thoughts on how things were going but instead she stood, stock still, not saying anything. 

“Dr Torres have you ever seen a tumor this size in a six year old before?” Arizona asked, hoping that the woman would engage with her, and hoping they could break the ice in the room.

“I have actually,” she said and walked up a little closer, inspected the area then walked back to her spot before turning to Alex. “Dr Karev, have you ever seen a tunot in a six year this size before?” Alex glanced from Callie to Arizona then back to Callie. He wasn't sure if he was supposed to speak or not so he looked back to Arizona who gave him a small nod.

“No, I've never been part of a surgery on one this size before,” he stated and looked at the brunette, waiting.

“You should watch closely then, to see how she removes the last part, since it's attached to two organs, that's the tricky part. You'll want to pay attention to how she manages to remove it without any damage to either of the organs.” Alex glanced at Arizona as she worked then back at Callie. He stared intently at his mentor as she made her final cuts and a couple of people in the room gave small claps as she placed the large tumor on a pan.

Callie glanced at the blonde then walked out without another word, leaving the room that let out a small sigh when she left. Arizona watched the woman leave then finished up her surgery, she had hoped to be able to catch the woman after it was over so they could finally have that conversation she'd been wanting to have. She made face of disappointment under her mask and finished up her surgery then left the room.


	14. Chapter 14

Mark heard it long before he saw it, the sputtering behind him, he turned and saw a beautiful blue classic thunderbird pull into the spot where he was standing. A large clank announced the presence of the car and sitting behind the wheel was none other than Dr. Torres. A large smile pulled on his face as he saw the frustrated doctor get out and give a yell at the car.

“Piece of crap,” she kicked the wheel then turned to walk into the bar when she saw the man whore she had already heard so many stories about in her short stay at the hospital standing in front of her with a huge smile on his face.

“Need some help?” He asked with his smarmy look that always donned his face. She rolled her eyes and walked into the bar, yanking the door open with a vengeance and striding in, leaving him behind her. 

“I need a large drink,” she yelled over her shoulder as he caught up to her.

“And the car?” He asked motioning for Joe to bring them shots.

“Later. I need drinks now,” she told him and threw the shot back like a pro as he sat with his mouth open in awe at the woman. He glanced around the room and saw Addison, Teddy and Arizona off in the corner throwing daggers at him. He gave them a little wave with his fingers and all three started talking to each other and he knew without a doubt, it was about him and his new drinking buddy.

“So, Dr. Torres, tell me a little bit about yourself,” he said with a smile, leaning in and pushing another shot in front of her and taking one for himself. Callie looked over at him and actually rolled her eyes in his face, she wasn't even trying to hide her disdain for him.

“What do you want to know? That my last three relationships have been with women and you don't stand a chance? That everyone in the hospital hates me and is trying to make my life a living hell? That Dr. Altman threw me out of her OR today?”

“They're scared,” he told her and threw back his shot as she looked over at him.

“What?”

“You're new and threatening to them, they don't know what to expect of you. Why are you here? Are you here for their jobs?”

“No! I'm here to help the hospital, and the students.”

“Yeah but what if in the process of helping the hospital, it means their job? Do you see their concern?”

Callie looked away from the doctor as she thought about what he had to say. Is that what they really thought? She was trying to get them fired?

“But…”

“You need to earn their trust. You're sort of...menacing right now...scary. Try and talk to them. Make friends, and stop staring over their shoulders during surgeries, it's driving them crazy!” He told her, getting up and walking away from her. 

Xxxxxx

Arizona, Addison and Teddy glared at Mark as he walked towards them. Why was he conversing with the enemy? He was supposed to be on their side and instead he was throwing back shots with the woman that was going to get them all fired. Mark finally sat down with his normal grin on his face and looked at the three female friends.

“Ladies…” and they all three started yelling at him at once.

“How could you?”

“Why were you talking to her?”

“You better not sleep with her!”

He just continued to smile as they laid into him with their questions.

“What did she say?”

“Why were you talking to her?” Mark just continued to smile as the women pelted their questions at him.

“Ladies, please this is unbecoming of you, she's actually very upset with how you've been treating her,” he gave them all a smile and they started to fire again.

“Us?!”

“She's mad!?”

“She lied to me about who she was!”

The last statement came in and all three of the other doctors stopped and looked at the small blonde doctor that had said too much.

“Ummm, what's that blondie?” Mark turned his head to his friend that had turned beet red.

“Look at that,” Teddy exclaimed and all four of them looked at Callie who was sitting very close to the blonde intern that she had been with at lunch.

“Sadie…” Arizona hissed as all four watched. The blonde was definitely hitting on the older doctor, she had scooted her bar stool right up next to Callie so their entire bodies were touching. Sadie had her arm resting on the back of the stool, leaning in while whispering in the brunette’s ear.

“What do you suppose they are talking about?” Teddy asked, her mouth hanging open as she watched the very overt way the blonde was coming onto the new doctor.

“Procedures?” Mark asked and all three heads flipped to him, shooting daggers, then looked back across the room at the two women.

Xxxxxxx

“Doctor Torres,” Sadie said sliding into the bar stool next to Callie and then scooting it closer to the doctor. “I'm so glad you decided to join me.” Callie's face flushed as she had forgotten the young blonde intern had asked her to meet for a drink. It had completely slipped her mind and all she could think about after her long day was relaxing. But now in one small bar she had a series of troubles and the biggest one was the blonde that had her hand on her thigh. 

“Uhhh, sure,” Callie managed to squeak out as the blonde started to rub circles on her thigh while she leaned in to speak to the brunette.

Callie had to admit, it had been a very, very long time since someone had so blatantly come onto her like this. Years and years to be exact, she was trying to remember the actual instance but she was sure it was in her early twenties. And as she was trying to think about it she felt the blonde move even closer, which surprised her because she didn't know there was any room to spare. 

“Dr Torres, would you mind if I called you Callie? When we aren’t at the hospital at least?...Callie I just wanted to tell you again how amazing I find you. What you are trying to do here at our little hospital is amazing. How you're trying to save the intern and residency program all on your own is….”

“It's not on my own,” Callie pulled back slightly to look into the eyes of the blonde. “It's not just me, it's everyone. I have to have the cooperation of all the attendings and residents and interns to make this work, and so far that isn't happening. It won't work unless we all work as a team. So don't think I'm doing this all on my own, this isn't about me. It has to be about all of us.” She lectured the blonde sternly and then removed the hand that was burning a hole in her jeans. And as she looked at the blonde she noted that this wasn't the blonde she wanted to be speaking to at all. This wasn't the blonde that she had seen on occasion in the halls and cafeteria, and in OR rooms. The blonde she most desperately wanted to speak to was sitting on the other side of the room shooting daggers at her.

“Ridiculous….” Callie murmured to herself and got up.

Xxxxxxxx

“I mean look at them, they should just get a room,” Teddy said causing Arizona to flip her head to the brunette and intern then back to her roommate again. She was getting dizzy with trying to keep up with all that was going on. 

“Do you think she likes her?” Arizona asked no one in particular.

“Well it's obvious isn't it? Look at them,” Addison stated but hadnot asked which woman she was asking about. And she assumed she meant Sadie. “I mean she seems to be responding to her.”

“You think?” Arizona flipped her head to then again then to her friend. “I don't know….she doesn't seem that into her,” she tried to shrug it off but her friend was having no part of it.

“Look at her! Please! I mean she is all over her,” and it was true, Sadie was indeed all over the brunette. 

“Yeah but, maybe it's too loud tonight and that's why they are sitting so close,” Arizona was trying to cover for reasons Callie would be sitting so close to the other woman. 

“Arizona! Have you lost your mind? And why do you care? I dIdn't think you liked her anymore,” Addison looked at her friend and wondered what was going on.

“I don't! I don't like her! Never have!” Arizona told them and all three heads spun around to her. “What?”

“You made out with her, you told us all about it.”

“What? No I didn't! We never made out!”

“Yes you did, after the Christmas party you two ended up in a supply room and totally made out. You told us all about it.” Arizona's cheeks flushed as she realized what had happened. She had been talking about Callie and they had been talking about Sadie. Now she was in a bit of a predicament.

“Ummm.”

“Wait….” Addison narrowed her eyes and looked at the two women cuddled up at the bar then back at her friend. “Who were you talking about?”

“No one,” Arizona squirmed in her seat, then grabbed her drink and drained it without looking at the others at the table. Teddy had a knowing smirk on her face and tried to hide her laughter from the other two that didn't know what had happened. Arizona didn't dare glance next to her, she could feel the piercing green eyes staring at her. Then she saw Callie stand up to leave, this was her chance, the opportunity she had been waiting on for days.

“Be back,” she called over her shoulder as she took off across the bar.

Xxxxxxx

Callie went outside and looked at her car, she had already had a few too many drinks, so she wasn't going to drive and right now it wasn't possible to drive anyway seeing as her car was being annoying. She rolled her eyes and looked up and down the street, she was going to need a cab.

“You know what? You suck!” Callie turned and saw the blonde that had been on her mind for days. Callie rolled her eyes and turned back to the street. She needed that cab now. “Don't turn away, I've been trying to talk to you for days now and you keep avoiding me, or running away or just all out being a pain in the ass to me around our colleagues.”

“I need a cab,” Callie stated and looked at the blonde. Damn she was beautiful.

“A cab!? Why won't you talk to me? I've been racking my brain for days trying to figure out why you did it. I'll have you know I was so worried about you when you disappeared from the hotel. I wanted to talk to you and you left without a word.”

“Oh, you didn't find my note and the money? Oh well housekeeping got a nice tip,” Callie turned her back to the blonde and hailed a cab she could see in the distance.

“No...I found that,” Arizona told her a little quieter. 

“Oh so you didn't find my note I left you? I wrote it on your cliffs notes of the reasons why you thought I was a stripper. Or a prostitute. Which was it again?” Callie didn't bother turning around, instead standing with her arm up in the air as she saw the cab rolling down the road. Hurry up, she was saying to herself.

“Callie, I know it didn't look good, that note but I was just so confused and I didn't know what to think. Why didn't you just tell me from the beginning who you were instead of playing games? I am so confused as to what happened. I mean if you had just told me you were a doctor things would have gone so different.”

“Oh so you could have liked me if I was a doctor but not a stripper?” Callie turned and asked, she knew she wasn't giving the woman much of a chance here, but she really was mad. And she knew the blonde was mad, but at the moment she really didn't care.

“Why did you even go on the date? I mean, that has been bothering me. Why? You're a doctor, you just moved to town, why on earth would you go on an escort date with a woman you've never met before? I've been asking myself over and over, why??” Arizona was flustered as she was finally able to get out why she was so frustrated by the other woman.

“You want to know why?” Callie turned and faced the blonde then walked towards her as the cab finally pulled to the curb, she motioned to wait a minute then looked at the blonde who was nodding her head. “You really want to know why I decided to go on the date with you?” She looked into those amazing blue eyes, that she couldn't help getting lost in, “It's because when I looked at that picture of you, and I saw the most beautiful woman I had ever seen, staring back at me I just had to get to know her. And if I had known I'd meet her on Monday at work I might not have gone, but I do know that if I hadn't gone on that date and not met her. I would have regretted it. I would have regretted my chance to spend a weekend with the most beautiful woman I had ever seen, and I don't regret it. Not for one second have I been upset with myself for going. But I do keep kicking myself for not telling you who i was, I wish I had been honest with you, and told you from the start. Because now that I've told you all that, I fear that I screwed it all up. And I'll never have the chance to know you the way I want to know you. That I'll never have the chance to take you out on a real date, and the chance to do this again,” Callie leaned in then, grabbed the woman by the cheek, pulling her closer and finally let their lips touch for the first time. 

It wasn't the sort of kiss that took control of the woman, but rather it was the sort of intimate kiss long lost lovers share. Callie gently kept the blonde pulled in close as she continued to kiss her then finally, she pulled back and saw the blue eyes staring up at her.

Callie waited a moment but the blonde didn't say anything, but she did continue to stare at her until Callie got a little nervous and pulled away altogether, taking two steps back and opened the door of her cab and climbed in before the blonde could say anything else.

And there standing on the curb outside of Joe’s bar was left the blonde with a startled look on her face as her hand came up to her face and she let her fingers touch her lips, the lips that moments before had pressed against those delicate pillows that belonged to the brunette. And all she could think was, when could that happen again?


	15. Chapter 15

Arizona found herself in early at the hospital the next day, cruising around for no particular reason. Or so she told herself. She knew it was a lie, but she kept saying it. She was looking for Karev, but when she found him she continued to wander. She was looking for her favorite scrub nurse to ask a question. And when she found her she continued to wander. She was looking Callie but she wasn't going to admit to that. If she did admit to that it might make her seem desperate or needy and she was Arizona Robbins. Never desperate and certainly never needy when it came to other women. Other women sought her out. Searched for her in hospitals. 

Finally around noon she met up with Addison, Teddy and Mark for their normal lunch date. She was angrily picking at her salad, stabbing tomatoes and cucumbers and occasionally glancing around for signs of the brunette doctor but hadn't seen hide or hair of the woman all day. This was concerning because they had shared a kiss the night before. An amazing kiss that lit her on fire and made her want more from the other woman. Plus she had told Arizona she thought she was beautiful. She laid it all on the line and told her she was amazing and that was the only reason she agreed to the date.

Arizona had been over that in her head a few dozen times,wondering if the woman was being honest. Of course why would she lie about something like that, it was incredibly honest and brave and had taken Arizona by complete surprise. It made her head spin a bit to think about what the woman had told her, she was all out admitting she liked her, outloud and then kissing her the way she had helped solidify her case. There was no doubt about, Callie had laid it out on the line for her, and now she needed to find her so they could at least talk about it.

Finally she looked up and saw three sets of eyes staring back at her.

“Yes….” she drew out and saw them all crack smiles.

“Are you planning on telling us where you are living today because it certainly isn't here with us,” Teddy poked her friend in the rib with her elbow continuing to laugh.

“I don't know what you mean,” Arizona told them indignantly while she stabbed another tomato and popped it in her mouth. “I'm perfectly fine.”

“We all noticed you chased the brunette out of the bar last night, but you never came back in…..you two...you know?” Mark made a crude gesture with his hands, while Addison swatted at him.

“Mark! That was incredibly rude, even for you,” she yelled at him and looked at Arizona who had gone three shades redder than normal and tried to not to look at her friends.

“I have no idea what you are referring to, I left last night and went home, by myself, end of story,” she told them without looking at any of them in the face. 

“Mmhmm, sure you did Robbins….what is it with you and her anyway?” Addison narrows her eyes while looking at the blonde that is avoiding eye contact. “You've been weird ever since she showed up and I know I've never seen you run out of a bar after another woman. So spill. What's going on.”

“There is nothing going on, I didn't leave the bar with her last night. I went home right after I left, by myself, and Teddy knows because she lives with me and she would know if I had someone over.”

“Actually I didn't come home, I got called in after you left and went to the hospital for one of my patients and spent the night there. Thanks for noticing though,” Teddy rolls her eyes at her friend and goes back to eating. 

“I'm not buying this excuse, what's happening? Actually it's not just Dr. Torres it's been since this weekend….you went to that wedding of Kate's...wait… are you upset Kate got married? Is that it?” Addison was reaching and she knew it but she thought maybe she would get close to the reason her friend was being weird.

“No! I'm not missing Kate. Not at all!!” Arizona was appalled at just the thought. She hadn't even thought about Kate in at least a year, in fact when she picked up the invitation it was the first time she has thought about the woman since they had broken up. Sure at the beginning she had been a little upset but she hadn't been too broken up about their demise.

“Me thinks thou dost protest too much,” mark said with a knowing smirk, causing Arizona to roll her eyes.

“Really? Like you know Shakespeare,” she scoffed at the man and him preposterously quoting the writer.

“I know plenty!” He told her and the other women laughed at the man.

“Okay fine, you are a brilliant surgeon but I don't think you should be quoting anyone.”

“Yeah well I still think you are up to something. So what happened this weekend, we all know it was huge whatever it was. Why not just admit to it and tell us. Oh! Is it dirty? Did you have sex with someone over the weekend?” He was throwing things out now, but he could tell he was getting warmer as he asked because Arizona's ears were getting redder as he spoke. “Ooooo, that's it! You slept with someone! But you sleep with people all the time…”

“Hey!” Arizona grabbed one of Teddy’s fries and pelted him with it.

“I just mean, you normally don't act like this when you sleep with someone. This is odd. It's different….hmmm,” he say back in his chair determined to guess what the blonde was up to. Finally he sat up with a giant smirk on his face. “I got it.”

“No you don't.” She brushed him off as she tried to finish her salad.

“Do to. So let's run through this, you went to Kate's wedding and hey guess what? Kate is an orthopedic surgeon, right?” He asked as Arizona felt her heartbeat speed up. Oh crap. “Hmmm, and let's see, who else do we know that's an orthopedic surgeon,” he asked as Arizona shoved a giant mouthful of salad in her mouth. She needed to get out of the room as quick as possible. “Oh I know, none other than the new Dr Torres, I think you both were at the wedding and slept together and now you're both here and your one night stand is evaluating you everyday!” He gave a loud clap at the end that made all three women jump slightly and Arizona nervously laugh.

“Pffft, not even close!” Arizona said shoveling the last bit of salad in her mouth and grabbing her tray.

“Not a chance Robbins, I want all the juicy details,” he told her grabbing her tray and pushing it back on the table. Arizona glanced at Teddy and gave her a look of help, it wasn't until a moment later she realized she shouldn't have done that.

“You might as well just tell them…”

“Teddy!!!” Arizona looked at her friend in amazement, not believing she dared let the cat out of the bag. Now Mark would never leave her alone until he had the truth.

“Oh my god you did sleep with her!! I was sort of just reaching, I had no idea you actually slept with her,” Mark’s face was wide in astonishment and as Arizona looked at Addison she noticed the redhead had the same look.

“Would you keep it down… we didn't...actually sleep together,” Arizona was feeling very awkward as she was trying to decide what to tell them. She knew the other woman probably didn't want anyone knowing she was an escort date for the blonde over the weekend, so she needed to keep that under wraps, but she was going to have to tell them something or they would all drive her crazy. Even Teddy still hadn't heard all the details.

“Come on, Arizona, your friends are waiting,” Mark smiled a little again knowing he had her cornered as he sat back in his chair and waited for the story to unfold.

“Fine!” Arizona sat back in her chair hard, arms crossed and looked at the rest of the table. She was mad now, mostly at herself because she was going to have to fess up at least part of what happened. Mark looked thoroughly pleased with himself, almost salivating, waiting for her to admit to something dirty and elicit. “I went out with Calliope Torres this weekend, but I had no idea I would run into her at the hospital. It was a blind date for the wedding and now I'm back here and she's everywhere.”

“But you slept with her?” Mark asked, grin on his face.

“No.”

“What? This story is boring,” he stood up and grabbed his tray. “I don't know what you're so stressed about, so what, you went on a date with her, who cares? You didn't even sleep together. She's been holed up in an oncall room all day on the third floor avoiding you. You two are dumb,” he told her and walked off.

Arizona jumped up, grabbed her tray, and took off from the cafeteria, almost knocking Mark over in the process. She had to find the brunette.

Xxxxx

Callie was miserable, she should have just stayed home instead of coming into work, but she thought the hospital was a better place to be in case things got too bad. her head was killing her and right now all she could think of was the blonde and her head. She heard the door open but didn't look up to see who it was, she didn't have the strength to do it.

“Hey,” she heard and felt the bed dip and she smiled as she knew it was the blonde that sat down beside her. “You okay?” Callie started to roll over but Arizona stopped her. “Stay where you are, don't move.” Arizona took the washcloth off Callie's neck and left the room only to return moments later and place a new cool one on the brunettes neck. She heard Callie let out a sigh when the cool cloth touched her neck. “Bad one?”

“Yeah,” she whispered and felt the blonde start to knead her shoulders, not applying too much pressure, but just enough.

“Is this okay?” Arizona wasn't sure what the brunette needed but she knew she liked her own neck to be rubbed when she had abnormal headache. Callie nodded her head and rolled over just a little more to make room for the blonde. Arizona scooted in closer and let her hands massage the shoulders and neck of the other woman. She could feel the tension rise off of Callie and her relax as she worked her muscles. “I've been looking for you all day, if I had known you were sick I would have looked even harder,” she continued to rub the shoulders and neck as she felt Callie relax into her touch. “I'm always just a text away, you could have sent me a message. Have you at least taken your medicine?”

“No,” came the quiet voice, barely there. 

“Okay, how about I go get Teddy to write you a prescription, and I'll pick it up for you and bring it back?”

“Arizona…”Callie started to protest but was quickly cut off.

“Don't try to tell me no, I'm not going to accept that answer. Here I'll just text her then I'll go grab it,” Arizona pulled her hands away from Callie's neck and she heard the woman groan slightly at the loss. She shot a quick text over to Teddy then put her hands quickly back into Callie's neck and started to knead the muscles again. 

“Thank you,” she heard from the woman in a slight groan and knew this was exactly what she needed. She saw her phone light up and saw Teddy had gotten the script written, filled and wanted to meet her with the medifice.

“Hey, I'll be right back,” Arizona whispered and quickly got up from the bed and ran out to meet Teddy and grab some Gatorade for the brunette.

She wasn't gone long, but when she came back she could tell Callie had fallen asleep, and she didn't want to wake her up, so instead she locked the door, so no one would bother them, and quietly sat on the bed next to Callie. She grabbed her phone and sent a text message to Alex saying she would have her phone but he was on duty until she made it back. She settled back, then pulled out her tablet and started to get some charting done while the other woman slept. 

Callie had been sleeping for about an hour when she finally started to stir, Arizona heard a lot of groaning from the woman and placed a hand on her back for two reasons. One to reassure her she was still there and also so she wouldn't freak out to have someone else in bed with her.

“Hey, I got Teddy to write you a script for one pill, and I also got you some Gatorade, why don't you sit up and take them both?”

Callie rolled over and saw the woman was still there and gave her a smile.

“Arizona, you didn't have to do all this,” Callie pulled herself up into a sitting position and took the medicine from her and grabbed the bottle of fluids.

“I know I didn't have to, but I couldn't leave you here,” she looked into the brunettes eyes and could see she was hurting. “In fact, my day is about over, what do you say about coming to my place for some rest. I'll make you my mother's famous chicken noodle… wait have had anything to eat today?” Callie shook her head and Arizona let out a sigh. “Did you get sick earlier?” The brunette nodded which made Arizona stand up, “Okay, let's go then, I'll take you home and make you something, you really shouldn't be alone right now,” Arizona held out her hand looking down at the brunette, Callie reached up and the blonde helped her to her feet.

Callie had a hard time steadying herself once she stood and Arizona immediately put an arm around the waist of the woman and helped her as they left the room. Arizona walked them down the hall and to her car, helping the woman along the way and getting into the car. When Arizona rounded the car and got in she looked over at the brunette that had rested her head on the window of the car, Arizona reached over and held the brunettes hand as she drove along, trying to give her some support that she knew she needed.


	16. Chapter 16

Callie let out a little groan as she pulled up slightly, sitting up she looked around the room that wasn't at all familiar to her and slightly panicked as she then looked down and saw clothes on that she hadn't seen before either. She felt the panic rise and then looked around a little harder while climbing out of the bed and stubbing her toe and letting out a little yell while hopping around the foreign room.

“Callie?” She heard a little knock and the door opened to the blonde doctor she had recently spent so much time avoiding. And then all the thoughts came flooding back to her. Arizona had helped her at the hospital, she picked her up and brought her back to her apartment. Callie remembered there being homemade soup and medicine, pajamas and the woman tucking her in for a sleep. She had spent her afternoon and evening taking care of Callie. 

“Hey,” Callie let out a froggy voice then cleared her throat and tried again as the blonde stepped into the room. “Hey, thanks for everything last night,” she looked around the room nervously for her clothes, but didn't see them. And then she remembered…. “oh goddddd.”

“I threw them in the washing machine, they are folded and waiting for you, I can get them but there is no rush,” Arizona knew the woman was as probably slowly remembering the night before.

Callie hung her head a little lower and a blush crept up on her face as she remembered just as soon as they had gotten back to Arizona's apartment Callie had thrown up all over both of them, and the foyer, and then finally the bathroom. Which was amazing because she hadn't had much to eat so she really was curious where it had all come from. She looked up at the blonde with an apologetic look on her face, she couldn't imagine what the blonde had to do to get everything clean, embarrassment at this point she as a gross understatement. 

“I am sooooo sorry, Arizona,” she started but a hand was held up to her.

“Enough. I work in peds, hardcore yes, but I am used to being thrown up on. At this point in my career it's like second nature to me.”

“But still, I can't begin to thank you enough for taking care of me, for bringing me back here and cleaning me up. If it wasn't for you I'd still be in that oncall room trying to get rid of my headache…..and probably laying in my own puke,” she gave Arizona a half grin, then looked down.

“Callie I didn't do anything for you that you wouldn't have done for me. I'm just glad you are feeling better..you are feeling better, right?” Callie quickly nodded her head.

“Yes! So much, but I really should get going, i need to shower and eat something, I'm starving,” she told the blonde and reached down to grab her purse off the floor.

“No rush, and I made some breakfast. How about this, you join me for breakfast as a thank you?” She gave Callie her biggest grin, throwing out out her dimples.

“Let me get this straight, I'm thanking you for taking care of me, cleaning up my puke, making me chicken noodle soup and letting me sleep in your bed by letting you make me breakfast?”

“Don't question my reasoning, just join me,” Arizona gave her a curt turn and walked out of the room leaving the brunette staring at her incredibly lean legs in her yoga pants. Callie quickly straightened her hair then walked out of the room to find the blonde working around the kitchen.

“I made some food that should be easy on your stomach, I know you are feeling better but I didn't want you to have anything to hard,” Arizona told her filling up cups with coffee and sliding them across the counter to the other woman. 

“Thanks again,” Callie sat down at one of the stools and looked at the cute blonde puttering around the kitchen in front of her. She reached for her coffee and started to make it up the way she liked and looked to see the blonde now staring at her.

“So...I've known you for less than a week and you've already had two migraines, is this normal?” Callie quickly shook her head and put her coffee back down, reveling in the taste of the brown liquid and how good it was.

“No, I don't get them all that often I've just been really stressed out lately what with the move and the new job and well….you know,” she made a small gesture between the which put a large smile on the blonde's face as she grinned mischievously.

“No, what do you mean?” Arizona asked over the top of her coffee cup as Callie groaned.

“I just…..the weekend was not normal for me and now I'm at work and everyone hates me and you hate me and I'm not used to that….. people generally like me.”

“I like you Callie, make no mistake about that I'm just still really confused about us. About you. About everything, Callie nodded her head and picked up her cup again. “Would you like to elaborate?”

“On which part?” Callie asked coyly and then quickly admonishing herself for being an ass.

“Okay how about the beginning. The escort thing? What was that about?” Callie let out a big sigh and began.

“I just moved here and Jeremy was helping me move in…”

“You know Jeremy?” Arizona sat down across from her at the counter as Callie talked. 

“Yeah he's a friend from undergrad, he moved out here years ago and started this escort business which I always thought was ….well weird for lack of a better word. I mean, who uses that service?....oh, right.” Callie stopped herself as she saw the blonde in front of her blush.

“Let's set the record straight, it was the first time I used it. I was in need of a date and quickly because of the wedding. Teddy had used it a few times before and it seemed to work well for her. The guys she brought with her were always nice and professional looking, so much so I never knew. So I figured why not? I had to bring someone and it seemed like a good solution to a huge problem, but then…”

“I showed up?”

“You showed up,” Arizona said quietly and looked at her empty coffee mug. “Why did you show up?”

“Like I said, Jeremy was helping me with boxes and he showed me your picture and I just, reacted,” Arizona watched Callie as she spoke and noticed those deep brown eyes bore into her soul as she spoke. “I mean, I saw the picture and I just couldn't help myself. I just had to know you.”

“Why?” Arizona questioned though she figured she probably had the answer already since she had felt the same thing when she saw Callie's picture.

“It might seem super corny and I'm a bit embarrassed to say it now, but I just thought you were beautiful and I really wanted the chance to get to know you,” she blushed slightly moving around uncomfortably in her seat then peeking up. “I mean, a weekend away with a gorgeous woman, it's like the perfect date!”

“So why'd you lie about who you were?”

“Because my anxiety about the whole thing kicked in and all I could think was…” Callie trailed off nervously looking at the blonde and down at her fidgeting hands.

“What?”

“How could someone so beautiful be single and need a service for a date?”

“So you assumed there must be something wrong with me?” Arizona asked with a smile.

“Well, yeah.”

“That's fair. I was a little nervous about that and the more you kept telling me the more my mind ran with it….obviously, the note.”

“I can't believe you thought I was a stripper or a prostitute. I mean, really?” Now it was Arizona’s turn to blush.

“Wel the things you were saying made me think it and I don't know...my mind just ran.”

“Okay well how about this? We start over? Can we do that? We pretend like the weekend never happened because to be honest, I really wish it hadn't or at least I wish I had been honest with you from the start.”

“I don't.” Arizona told her causing Callie to look at her I confusion. “I just….I think things happen for a reason and it kind of makes for a funny story, you know? Like Someday someone will ask about how we first met and I'll be able to say I thought you were a stripper and you thought I was a crazy person,” she told the brunette with a big smile. Callie thought it was cute that she brought it up and she couldn't help but wonder what she meant by that, but decided to leave it alone.

“Yeah, maybe…” Callie glanced at the clock and back at the blonde.

“So I have a question about the other night? Ummm, you kissed me and I have to admit it's been a really long time since someone kissed me like that but now, I have to ask. What did it mean? Did it mean anything?”

“Well I hope so,” Callie waited a minute then started again,”I like you, but I'm worried that everything that happened over the weekend has ruined any chance we had. We were pretty open and honest with each other about things...life and our wants. We were deeper in our thoughts than I'd ever been with any sort of relationship I'd ever had. And I just wonder did we blow our shot?”

Arizona listened as the other woman spoke and knew what she was asking. They had both clearly stated opposite wants in life, Callie wanting a family while Arizona was happy to date and stay free of any sort of family obligations. She knew the brunette was asking if this was still the case.

“Let me ask you this, your contract is only for two months, what happens after that?”

“Well I hope that I will be picked up after that.”

“And if you aren't?”

“Then I'll have to move on I suppose,” Callie stated quietly and knew what the blonde was getting at.

“So what about this? We date for now, casually, and in two months we see where we are.”

“Do you think that's wise?” Callie asked looking at the blonde. She could tell Arizona was trying to convince herself this was a good plan. 

“Well I think at this stage it's silly for either of us to assume too much. We barely know each other and that's what dating is for. I mean, you've already said you just got out of a relationship, you've just moved here, you're starting a new job so I can't imagine you are looking for anything too heavy. So let's just...play this by ear.” Arizona gave a giant shrug at the end signifying that she was very nonchalant about the whole thing, but Callie wasn't convinced…..


	17. Chapter 17

Arizona stared across the room at the brunette as she spoke to another doctor. Arizona wasn't sure who the woman was but Callie seemed to be striking up quite the conversation with the woman. Arizona and Callie had seen each other for the last couple of weeks, on and off in the hospital and had even run into each other at the bar one night. Literally ran into each other as Callie was on her way out and Arizona was entering the bar. They gave each other nice curt smiles but that was it. So far the two had been courteous to each other but not much else.

“Still nothing?” Addison asked sitting down next to Arizona, noticing she was staring at the brunette.

“Nope,” Arizona turned her attention back her salad.

“Have you considered asking her out on a date? Maybe she needs to be wooed. She might be one of those girls.”

“Possibly,” Arizona scrunched up her face and looked back at the brunette who was still talking to the other doctor. 

“You can be so stubborn sometimes. You like her, she likes you, just ask her out.”

“Who?” Teddy asked sitting down then looked across the room. “Oh. Yeah I'm not getting into this anymore, in fact I don't want to hear about it anymore. I'm tired of it.”

“Teddy!” Arizona called out while glaring at the woman.

“I'm tired of it, sorry. You have gone on and on about her and yet, here you are, sitting with us while she sits with Dr Scrapo, who had been sniffing around for the past week.”

“Dr Scrapo?”

“Just here for a consult for a couple of weeks for me, but she has been asking around and I know she wants to ask her out.”

“How do you know?”

“Because she asked me if Callie as seeing anyone and I told her no,” Arizona opened her mouth in disbelief, “BUT, I told her she had been showing some interest in my roommate.” Arizona glared at the woman across the room as she leaned in and spoke to Callie.

“I don't like her,” she growled.

“You didn't know her name until twenty seconds ago,” Addison reminded her with a smile.

“Who?” Mark asked and plunked down next to them biting into his apple. “We talking about Torres again?” All three women nodded. “Figures, she's all anyone talks about these days. Everyone wants her,” he told them as he chewed and Arizona glared at him now.

“You suck,” Arizona told him and looked back over, Dr Scrapo had her hand on Callie's arm as she talked and the brunette was listening intently as though the words coming out of the mouth of the other doctor were the most profound thing she'd ever heard.

“Nurse Colleen has been sniffing around too,” Mark told her and took another bite of his apple. “You better hurry up and make your move before someone else gets there first. She's hot, and someone else is going to scoop her up,” when he said “she's hot” Arizona's eyes shot actual daggers out of them and pierced Mark’s skin. Okay, that didn't actually happen but in her mind it did and he cried after it happened. Instead of crying though with little daggers in his skin, he smiled his big stupid smile at her while he chomped his apple. 

“Why doesn't she ask me out? Why do I have to ask her out, I mean, why do I have to make the move?”

“You don't it's just that if you don't make any move someone else is going to and you are going to be stuck watching her date other people. Is that what you want?”

“No. I guess not. We agreed we would be casual and I thought that's what…”

“Wait, what did you say?” Mark asked sitting up suddenly. 

“What?” Arizona asked as all eyes were suddenly on her.

“The casual part, what was that about?”

“We agreed that things would be casual between us, I mean she's possibly only here for a short time and we weren't sure if..”

“Oh, I see,” he sat back and looked over at the brunette.

“What?”

“She told you she wants casual, I get it now.”

“Get what?” She asked him as the other women looked down at the food, clearly uneasy with the conversation.

“She was letting you down Robbins, she was being easy on you. ‘Let's be causal, see how this goes,’ is how you let someone down.”

“It is not!”

“It most certainly is, she let you down easy so she could see other people,” he told her and she looked at the other women who both nodded.

“But…”

“Face it, you are now in the friend zone.” He told her and she looked over at the brunette that had her megawatt smile out and flashing towards the doctor she was sitting with. Arizona was baffled at the situation but mostly because she wasn't admitting out loud that she was the one that had suggested “casual”, she was the one that had suggested they “take it as it comes” not the brunette. She had apparently put herself in the friend zone and hadn't even realized it.

“You think she really thinks that?” She looked at Addison who nodded then at Teddy who also nodded.

“Friends,” Teddy told her and stood up to leave. “Good luck getting out of that,” she told her and took off.

Arizona looked down at her uneaten lunch and realized she was no longer hungry as she took in her current situation. 

“But maybe ‘casual’ isn't a bad thing, maybe it just means we are going to be friends that date too.”

“You just used the word ‘friend’ Robbins to describe your current situation. Face it. You are now friends with the woman you have a crush on.” He glanced at his pager and stood up, “gotta go, see ya,” he took off out of the cafeteria.

Arizona glared at Dr Scrapo as she got up from the table and lingered next to Callie before she eventually took the brunettes phone and typed in something then handed it back to the woman. She was clearly giving her her number. Arizona sat with her mouth open as she watched the interaction then the other doctor walked away leaving Callie all on her own.

“So what are you going to do?” Addison asked and Arizona shook her head.

“I have no idea. What do you do to get out of the friend zone?”

“No clue, never been there, and obviously you never have either.”

“This is so stupid,” Arizona muttered and looked over at the brunette as she stood and walked out of the room. “I'll be back,” Arizona told Addison and took off after the woman.

“Calliope!” Arizona called running up on the brunette.

“Hey Arizona, how have you been?” Callie asked politely in such a way that made Arizona's skin tingle. 

“I'm great, how have things been going with you?” 

“Good, good..walk with me? I have a class to get to,” she asked and started to walk as she pointed and gestured for the blonde to follow. Arizona immediately started after the brunette. “How are the kids on your ward doing?” Callie asked and it did not go unnoticed by Arizona that they were in friendly chatter. This was worse than she thought.

“They are doing amazing, how about you? How have things been going for you?” Arizona asked and was well aware that she was asking things that were boring. She needed to spice up the talk.

“Great, look I have to go, I'll see you later Arizona,” Callie told her and headed into a classroom that was filled with residents and interns. Arizona stood on the other side, staring in at the brunette as she hopped upstairs onto a desk sat on the edge and started talking to the class about procedures. 

“This is worse than I thought,” Arizona muttered out loud and turned around to see Mark standing there. “I thought you had an emergency,” she said and started walking off.

“Canceled,” he told her following. “That display back there was ...whew,” he fanned his hand in the air and Arizona glared at him. 

“I know, and the stupid thing is, I did this myself.”

“How's that?”

“I told her I wanted casual,” she mumbled and walked into the stairwell.

“What!? You friend zoned Torres!? Are you nuts?” He grabbed her arm before she could start up the stairs. “Spill.”

“Fine, she kissed me and we talked and she was concerned that I would get hurt or she would get hurt. We talked about things we want and don't want in life. I don't want to get married, she does, I don't want kids, she does, things like that. But we like each other, a lot, so I said why don't we just date casually, see where it takes us because she might be leaving anyway. I guess she took that as me friend zoning her, and here we are.”

Mark stood with his mouth open as he took in the words from his friend. 

“But….why?” He had no words.

“Why what?”

“Why would you friend zone her? I mean, she's just...jesus Robbins, have you lost your mind?” She rolled her eyes at him and started up the stairs.

“Because she is leaving in a little over a month if Richard doesn't renew her contract and I don't want commitments. I didn't want to lie to her, give her hope that I want more. Because I don't. So why would I lie and then in the long run we get hurt?”

“Well why even bother? You clearly aren't interested in her.”

“I am!”

“No, it sounds like you aren't,” he said nonchalantly waving his hand in the air.

“I like her.”

“But you don't want to date her…” he said casually as they walked.

“I do.”

“Then snap out of this!” He stopped and grabbed her shoulders. “Do you like her?” She nodded. “A lot?” She nodded? “Then wake up, ask her out, and get this done. We need to get you out of this friend zone and I know just how to do it.”

“You do?”

“I do. It will take a little work, some hard effort on your part, but I think we can do it if you're up for it.”

“Okay,” she whispered.

“I said are you up for it?” He asked loudly.

“Yeah,” she said a little louder.

“I said are you up for it?”

“Hell yeah!” She said about too loudly and the nurses at the station closest to them “shushed” the doctors who apologized and walked off.

“Okay the first thing you need to do is ask her out. Maybe casually, not a full fledged dinner, but how about coffee? But away from the hospital.”

“Okay, why?”

“It says you are interested and want to talk, more on that in a minute. Now on this coffee date we have one thing and one thing only to accomplish.”

“Okay, what?”

“You listening to her speak. Ask her questions, be interested, ask her about her dog when she was a kid, what her favorite book is. Crap like that, women love that,” Arizona scrunched up his face as he spoke. “And wear those boots of yours, the brown tall ones, and that blue shirt that shows off your boobs.” Arizona’s mouth fell open. “What? I look at your boobs.”

“Well stop it.”

“I can't help it, I'm a guy, boobs are on display, I look.”

“My boobs are never on display.”

“Well make them on display, we need to reel her in. Make the date in the afternoon, it shows you want to talk but you aren't expecting anything after.”

“Have you ever done a coffee date?”

“Christ no. But I've also not friendzoned myself either, so this is new for both of us. Now pay for the coffee but if she wants to open the door for you, let her.”

“Why?”

“I don't know I'm making this up.”

“Mark!” Arizona gave him a whack on the shoulder.

“It shows that you are letting her have some control, but you are in charge and are paying. Okay?” He rubbed his shoulder.

“Do you really think this is going to work?”

“I think it better if you like her at all. What other choice do you have?” Arizona bit on the inside of her cheek for a moment then looked up at Mark.

“Thanks,” she told him and walked off, she needed to find the brunette so she could ask her out.


	18. Chapter 18

“Hey Callie,” Arizona approached the other woman after she exited her class. She had been lucky enough to see the woman leave the room and quickly caught up to her.

“Oh Arizona, how are you?” Callie asked and started to walk down the hall. This did not go unnoticed by the blonde, that she was being thought of as an afterthought at this point and she knew she needed to up her game. And quickly.

“So I wanted to ask…”

“Callie, I just wanted to check and make sure we are still on for Friday?” Dr Scrapo appeared out of nowhere and interrupted the pair as they walked down the hall. Arizona tried her best not to openly glare at the other doctor. They were sharing a conversation and the woman just butted in and interrupted them, it was rude and unprofessional, what if they had been discussing a case and this woman was asking for a date. She admitted that she was also asking for a date but the other woman didn't know that. And who asks someone out in front of another person? What sort of person does that? 

“Oh, yeah Lara, I'll see you then,” Callie turned her back on the doctor and back to Arizona. “What did you want to ask?” And just like that Callie accepted the date right in front of her. 

Arizona was fighting with herself in her inner turmoil. The other doctor had just one upped her right in her face. Did she stick with the plan and ask for a coffee date? Or did she go out on a limb and ask for more? The other woman was getting an actual Friday night while Arizona was getting a latte. This didn't seem fair, not in the slightest. She felt the words coming out of her mouth as her brain yelled at her to stop. But she couldn't help herself or stop the words….

“What are you doing Friday?” She felt herself cringe as she said the words and she hoped her eyes didn't close but she was sure they did as she held her breath at the question she just asked. Yes. She Arizona Robbins had officially lost it. There was no coming back from this sort of a faux pas. 

“Oh, some of the doctors are going out for a girls night, I think they mentioned softball or salsa class,” Callie started walking again as the blonde trailed her. Arizona felt like that dog in the cartoons that follows the other dog and keeps asking questions only to be constantly shot down by the bigger dog. At least it wasn't an actual date, she told herself, they were meeting with other doctors. 

“Oh that sounds like fun,” Arizona rolled her eyes again at herself. “so I was wondering if maybe you'd want to grab a coffee with me tomorrow afternoon, I have the day off and thought maybe you'd like to meet up.” Callie grabbed a chart and flipped through it without looking up, instead intently reading the chart in front of her. Arizona watched her and for a moment she thought about that kiss they had shared. That had been a wonderful kiss, one that she would like to take part in again. Her eyes went to the lips of the other woman and settled on them, hand under her chin, wistfully looking up at the brunette while Callie flipped through a chart. She really needed to stop this, but at this point there was no turning back.

“Coffee? Ummm, sure just text me when and where. I'll see you Arizona, I have a surgery I need to observe,” Callie turned quickly and left the blonde standing on her own and wondering if she had been successful or not. She was a little perplexed by the situation and didn't know if what she was doing anything right currently. She knew one thing for sure though.

This was not her. She didn't pine. She didn't stare wistfully at lips and beg for dates. She was Arizona freakin Robbins, a one of a kind woman. A woman that other women begged to take on dates. And then pleaded for a Second date. She stood up a little taller, a little straighter, puffed out her chest a bit and walked down the hall, happy that she had finally set the record straight. With herself at least.

Xxxxxxx

“You did what?” Teddy asked her with horror on her face.

“I asked her out for coffee,” Arizona stated and applied a new layer of mascara to her eyes as she stared into the mirror at herself. 

“But...but… why?” Teddy asked, her mouth open as she stared at her friend. She had that blue shirt on she liked to wear and the boots. She was dressed for a night at the club, not for an afternoon coffee.

“What do you mean why? I like her and want to get to know her so I thought I'd ask her for coffee.” Teddy stared at her, hand on her hip as she digested the words, letting them sink in.

“You have never in your life asked another woman for coffee before.”

“Not true,” Arizona raised a finger in the air as she made her point. “Trisha, my second term girlfriend in my junior year of college became my girlfriend after I asked her for coffee.” Teddy continued to stare and saw Arizona blink for a second like she was recalling a memory.

“I call bullshit,” Teddy crossed her arms at her friend.

“Okay fine.” Arizona sat the mascara wand down and turned around. “I asked her out for tequila in the afternoon and we fell in bed together...but! She made really good coffee the next morning for me and that's something I won't ever forget,” she turned back around and gave herself a once over.

“Why the outfit?” 

“What's wrong with it?”

“Nothing it's just, you look like you are headed to Joe’s for the night not for a cup of joe,” she told her with a smile at her joke.

“Mark said..”

“Whoa whoa whoa, you've been talking to Mark? Tell me this isn't his idea.” Teddy looked at her friend that had a sheepish look on her face now and she knew it was true. “Arizona!!”

“What?” Arizona walked out of the bathroom trying to avoid looking at her friend, she knew she had been caught.

“What's the rule?” Teddy asked but didn't hear the mumble her friend let out. “The rules Arizona. The rules!”

“Fine! No going home with anyone after five drinks.” Teddy gestured for her to continue. “No bringing anyone back here to the apartment if the other person has been on call for more than twenty-four hours.”

“And…” Teddy put her hand on her hip while looking the other blonde in the eyes.

“And take no dating advice from Mark,” Arizona huffed out and stomped her knee high boot just slightly. “But…”

“No buts, Arizona! This is real! Now tell me the coffee wasn't his idea too,” before all the words were out of her mouth she saw Arizona blush slightly and knew it was what had happened. “Oh dear god help us,” Teddy let a huge sigh out. “Now what are we going to do to get you out of this?”

“Why is this so bad? I don't get it.”

“You are going to coffee. With your friend…..get it? You don't have coffee dates with people you want to date. You have coffee dates with friends. You are sticking her even farther in the friend zone. Stop it!” Teddy walked out of the room and Arizona looked at the clothes she had picked out and realized her actual friend was right. She was putting herself even farther into the friend zone without even realizing it happened.

“And the clothes?” Arizona called out.

“Change them, you look like you're going clubbing,” she heard from the other room.

“But my boobs..”

“Mark told you to wear that to show off your boobs. Why would you listen to him? Be yourself.” Arizona gave herself a face palm and knew her friend was right. What was she doing? She was so off her game right now and she had no idea why. Normally she would just buy the other woman a few drinks, strike up a conversation and bam. That was it. But this. 

She let out a sigh. Why was this so hard? She couldn't figure it out. Everything she was doing was wrong and so out of character for her. She couldn't make heads or tails of anything right now. But she knew one thing for sure. She had to figure out how to get an actual date with the brunette. 

“Ugh! Why is this so hard!?” Arizona yelled out and heard her roommate laugh. “I'm serious,” she said leaving her room and entering the living room. “It's like I have no idea what I'm doing. I can't dress, I can't talk to her. I stare at her when she talks to me. I mean it's just crazy. What is going on?” Teddy just stared back at her friend with a grin on her face.

“Seriously?”

“Yes, seriously, what is going on?” Arizona glanced at her watch and looked back to her friend.

“What time are you meeting her?”

“Two.”

“You better get going then,” Teddy told her and walked out of the room.

“Wait! Where are you going? I thought you were going to give me your words of wisdom on why I'm acting like an idiot. And what I should say to her. Tell me what to say! I need your help.”

“Nope,” Teddy called from the other room. “I'll let you figure it out on your own. Have fun! And wear the pink t- shirt you bought the other day, it's cute on you.”

Arizona ran back into her room, shrugged off her shirt and put the new one on, changed out her boots for some different shoes and ran out the door. She had no idea what the big secret was that Teddy seemed to have, but she was certain the woman was going to have to tell her soon. She couldn't carry on like this anymore.

Xxxxxx

Arizona entered the coffee shop and saw Callie sitting at a table working on a laptop and various stacks of papers in front of her. She scrunched up her face for a moment and wondered why the other woman would bring work on their date. That seemed odd. She gestured to the barista her order and walked over to where Callie was sitting.

“Hey Callie,” she smiled brightly at the woman who looked up at her with a huge smile. 

“Oh Arizona, how are you? I'm sorry to say that I won't be able to stay too long, I just had something come up and I'm going to have to get back to the hospital soon. I'm really sorry. I did want to get out of the hospital for a few minutes though so I thought I'd keep our meeting.” Callie told her and started to pack up her papers while the blonde sat down next to her. It did not go unnoticed by Arizona that Callie was a. Trying to leave as soon as she got there and b. Calling their date a “meeting.” This was far worse than she had anticipated.

“It's really good to see you Callie I'm glad you were able to come over even though you were busy. So how have things been going? Are you getting settled in?” Callie was all but ignoring Arizona as she packed up her files into a beautiful leather case with her monogram on it. 

“Things are going great, I think most of the staff has finally started…” she absently stared at a sheet of paper then filed it in with a few other before continuing, “to warm up to me, which is good. It's made the last couple of weeks so much easier. I feel like I might be getting somewhere finally. How about you? Have you noticed any changes in your residents?”

“Of course, they are all doing so much better than they were before you came. Whatever you are teaching them is helping it seems, so that has been great.”

“That's so nice to hear,” Callie finally shut down her computer and put it away in the case before finally turning back to Arizona. “Anyway, I just wanted to say I know that things between us started off kind of rocky but I'm really glad we were able to see past all the rough patches and forge ahead. It's so much easier to work with someone and not have it be weird when there is good reason for it to be that way. The coffee was a great idea to keep our alliance going,” Callie's phone rang and she grabbed it up, “but I really do have to get back to the hospital now. Thanks again,” Callie said and stood up, grabbed her bag and was walking with her phone up to her ear, before Arizona could do anything. Arizona stood up, mouth open, as she watched the other woman walk out of the shop leaving her behind. 

Arizona was left in the dust of the other woman with only one word on her mind. And it was a word far worse than she had imagined. A word that no one ever wanted to be described with. A word that put “friendship” to shame and made it sound appealing.

That word was alliance. Countries made alliances. Corporations made alliances. People do not make them and consider themselves a love interest. No. She was now even a rung lower than she had thought before their coffee meeting. She was now part of an alliance. She could be called on in times of war. When there was a trade deficit. But most certainly not by someone that wanted to be dated or wooed.

Arizona hung her head slightly and wondered what she was going to do now.


	19. Chapter 19

Arizona walked back into the apartment shortly after she left and slammed the door to the apartment, completely ignored her roommate on the couch and walked to her room and slammed the door.

“Things went well I guess,” Teddy called out and smiled to herself while she turned the channel to something better than she was watching. But nothing was better than the reality show she was watching with her friend. That was the best show not on tv in her opinion.

“You know what?” Arizona stormed out of her room shoving a different shirt on, pants had already been changed into sweatpants. “If you're going to make a date with someone the least you can do is keep the date!” Arizona took off for the kitchen and grabbed a glass, filling it up with ice and water as she stared off. “I mean, who makes a date, brings WORK and then leaves moments after the date starts!? Who does that!?”

“Apparently your date?” Teddy asked and turned the tv down, this show was getting better by the second. Her only real disappointment was she didn't have popcorn.

“Yes! My date! She had her room computer out and was working then she got a phone Call and took off.”

“Wait,” Teddy said sitting up. “She got a phone call right when you got there and left?”

“Yes! I had barely sat down, I mean my coffee wasn't even there yet and she had her phone in her hand and was gone.”

“But she had work? With her?”

“Yes but she had started packing it up.”

“Before the call?”

“Yes.”

“Like she was expecting the call?” Teddy drug out and watched as her friend slowly realized what happened.

“You don't think….?” Arizona clasped her hand to her mouth. “Oh my god!” She slammed her water down and took off for her room again, slamming the door. Teddy stared at the door knowing it was going to open any second and a rant was coming.

Sure enough she hadn't been in her room for five seconds before the door swung open and she reappeared.

“Who does that?”

“Well I'd say you would do that.”

“Uhh! No! I wouldn't!!”

“Well yeah, you had me call you that one time with Casey, remember the girl you met..”

“Yeah yeah yeah,” Arizona waved her off. “That was different she was super clingy and kept trying to get more dates out of me.” Arizona stalked around the room. 

“Did it ever occur to you that maybe she isn't interested?” Teddy asked and watched the blonde turn around.

“But, I like her.”

“Do you?”

“Yes! Why do you think I've been doing this!? I really like her.”

“Or do you like her because she's the one you can't have?” 

“Why can't I have her?”

“You sound like a little kid and the store. Maybe she just isn't that into you.”

“But….I like her.”

“Just because you like her doesn't mean she likes you.”

“But she told me she likes me.”

“When?”

“After she kissed me. She kissed ME! I didn't kiss her. She pursued me and kissed me then she got a headache and I took care of her. I cleaned up her puke!! And the next day we talked. I told her I liked her, she told me she liked me and we decided we would date but keep it casual. She might leave after two months if Webber doesn't resign her contract so we didn't want to date and then her have to leave. We agreed! Casual!”

“Maybe she doesn't want casual because she likes you too much. Kinda like you.” Teddy told her and watched as her friend brushed her off.

“That's ridiculous,” Arizona told her and Teddy let out a sigh, wondering if her friend was ever going to get it. “What I need to do is get myself invited to that party.” Teddy rolled her eyes as she realized Arizona still wasn't getting it.

“What party?”

“A bunch of the women surgeons are going out tomorrow night and she is going to be there, I need to get myself invited.”

“I'm going.” Teddy told her matter of factly.

“What!? How did you get invited?”

“I don't know, I was asked and I said yes.”

“Who asked you?”Arizona sat down by her friend.

“Dr Jungerman in derm.”

“Ugh,” Arizona stood up and walked out of the room. “Figures. She hates me.” Teddy had a little internal laugh knowing that the other doctor didn't like Arizona but wanted to play with it.

“Why doesn't she like you?”

“She wanted to date! Like all the time date and I didn't. I don't know why that makes her hate me.”

“Maybe because she liked you and was hoping you liked her back?”

“I did like her, but that doesn't mean I want to be joined at the hip with her. I don't want to be tied down, not to anyone! Least of all someone in derm,” she shuddered and walked out of the room. Teddy just sat with a smile on her face waiting for her friend to return. She knew she would be back. She was processing right now and it might take her a little while but she would get there eventually.

“So why do you want to go to this party? Especially if she's going to be there with Dr Scrapo?” Teddy called out.

“Who said she's going to “be there” with her?” Arizona asked her coming back in the room.

“You did.”

“That's before I knew a lot of people were going to be there. She's just going, they aren't dating.”

“Are you so sure of that?”

“Yes.”

“How do you know?”

“I just do she wouldn't date her,” Arizona rolled her eyes at Teddy.

“Why is it that you care so much Arizona? So what if she dates Dr Scrapo?”

“Because why would she want to date her? And she said she liked me, so why date someone else.” Teddy waited and decided to try another approach.

“What if she does start to date Dr Scrapo? What then?”

“I don't think she is going to,” Arizona told her and sat back looking at her friend.

“But If she starts to date her, what are you going to do?” Arizona looked at her friend unsure of what to say.

“I...I have no idea.”

“Is that what you want? Do you want her to date Dr Scrapo? Or Colleen? Or someone else? What if she dates Dr Jungerman?” Arizona turned up her nose at the thought.

“I don't really have much say in it now do I?” Arizona was being unreasonably stubborn. 

“Okay what happens if she does though. And things go great, her contract gets picked up, and she stays here and they date and move in, maybe get married and have some kids. Can you live with that?” Teddy watched her friend zone off for a moment as she took it all in. Teddy could actually see her face realize what was happening and finally she looked up at her friend.

“Oh my god, I like her. Like I like her, like her,” Arizona jumped up out of her seat and took off for her room. Teddy smiled and laid back on the couch as she watched her friend finally come to a realization. “She can't date anyone else!” Arizona said running back in, then ran back to her room. “I mean….what was I thinking?” Arizona shoved her feet back in shoes and was grabbing for the door.

“Where are you going?” Teddy sat back up.

“To find her.” Arizona called as she ran out the door, slamming it as she took off.

“About time.” Teddy muttered and turned the volume back up on the tv.

Xxxxxxxxxxxx

Arizona ran down the hall of the hospital looking for Callie, she had been told she was working in the lounge and she needed to find her. She hoped the woman was by herself, but she was willing to have the conversation with her no matter what.

She flung the door open and saw Callie working at a table, notes and computer set out in front of her. 

“hey,” Arizona said, suddenly nervous as she entered the room. She looked at the brunette sitting there, working and she couldn't get over how beautiful she looked. She had glasses on her head, and a large stack of charts in front of her. “I didn't know you wore glasses,” was the only thing she could think to say.

Callie's eyes rose up at the words, unsure of what she was supposed to say. Was she really here to talk about glasses?

“Yeah, just when I read,” Callie told her and watched as Arizona entered the room farther then walked up to her table and sit across from her. “Why are you here?” Callie asked the blonde, who appeared to be uneasy as she sat and fiddled with the papers in front of Callie.

“What are you working on?” Arizona asked Callie, who immediately rolled her eyes and let out a huff of heavy breath.

“Arizona…..why are you here?”

“Remember when we talked and you said you liked me and that you wanted to date?” Arizona asked her.

“Yes I remember that, it was right before you put me in the friend zone by saying we should keep it casual.” Callie deadpanned her showing no emotion.

“Yeah about that...so it seems I didn't really mean that.” Callie sat up a little taller and looked at the other woman.

“What?”

“I know I said I wanted to date but keep things casual and that was...well that wasn't what I meant...I think I just said that to protect myself.”

“Okay….so what are you saying now?”

“I'm saying I like you, a lot and I'd really like a chance to date you. Just you. I think I'm a little scared at the moment because it's been a very long time since I've liked someone like this and I don't know what that means.” Callie stared at her and watched as the woman tried to come to terms with what she was saying.

“I think it means we try and figure it out. I told you already Arizona I really like you, but I don't want to play games anymore. I know I really screwed things up in the beginning, by not telling you who I really was...but I'd like to have the chance to date you. And only you.”

“Does they mean you aren't going to date Dr. Scrapo?” Arizona asked quietly and Callie gave her a big smile.

“No, I've had no plans to date Jeannie, although she has been asking. I wasn't sure how much longer I could string her along though.”

“I suppose you could have just gone out with her,” Arizona looked down at the ground as she spoke.

“Arizona, I don't want to date anyone else. I just want to date you. But you said casual and asked me out for coffee...I didn't think you were interested.”

“I am! I am,” Arizona said a bit too enthusiastically, then looked at the brunette again. “Would you like to go out on a date tonight? With me? We get dressed up, maybe dance a little? Share some dessert?” Arizona looked at the brunette expectantly, but suddenly Callie got up and went the other side of the table and pulled Arizona up.

“I'd love nothing more than to have a date with you, but I'm on call tonight, how about tomorrow night?”

“But that's the girls night out.”

“Do you really want me to go to the girls night out where Jeannie will be?” Arizona shook her head. “Okay then, tomorrow you pick me up, and not at the airport this time,” Callie laughed at her own joke, “and we will have a nice night out. Okay?”

“Yeah that sounds perfect,” Arizona whispered.

“Good, I can't wait,” callie looked down at the other woman, testing her ground, and leaned down just a bit and saw Arizona lean up to her, Callie gave her a smile when she saw the other woman respond to her. “All I've done for the past few weeks is think about that kiss,” Callie leaned in a little farther and let her lips brush over the lips of the blonde. Then leaned in for a real kiss, she immediately pulled her arms up so they grabbed the blonde by the hips and gently held Arizona close to her. 

Arizona was lost in the kiss and felt her hands move up the arms of the brunette and one tangled into her hair, pulling the woman in close while the other hand traveled back down to rest over top of the other woman's hand, keeping her there. The kiss this time was different than the last one since she was on full alert this time and able to respond by kissing back. 

It didn't take but a few seconds before both of them were deepening the kiss and they knew immediately this was a bad idea since anyone could walk in at any moment. But neither shied away just yet as they were enjoying themselves way too much, but Callie finally pulled her head back just a touch and looked down at the blonde that had her eyes closed still. Callie gave her a peck on the lips, and a small nibble before pulling back again.

“You're beautiful,” Callie told her and winced at the words realizing she said them out loud, when Arizona opened her eyes she saw the brunette was in shock and knew it was because she had said those words.

“Kissing you is something I could really get used to Calliope, there is no doubt about that,” Arizona noticed the brunette smiled back at her. “I don't suppose on this date tomorrow night there could be a little more kissing?” Arizona questioned and saw the brunette look up while she thought about it.

“Maybe…” the brunette drew out and the blonde gave her a little smack on the arm. “Okay fine, there can be some kissing, in fact there better be,” Callie leaned back in and gave her another sweet kiss before letting go of the blonde. 

“I can't wait until tomorrow night,” Arizona told her as she went to the door.

“Me too. And hey Arizona?” Callie stopped her and the blonde turned back around. “Thanks for asking.”


	20. Chapter 20

Hey guys, thanks for keeping up with me and the story. This is the last chapter for a few weeks as I will be away and I won't have access to internet until I return. So look for this to start up again mid August.....see ya soon.

 

Callie felt the clamminess of her hands as she approached the door. There had just been a knock on it and she was well aware of the person on the other side of the door and that was why she was so nervous. She had dressed in one of her favorite outfits, makeup was perfect, hair was curled, and now all she had to do was answer the door. She looked through the peephole for prosperity sake and let out a nervous breath, then smoothed her shirt before opening the door.

“Hey,” she flashed her big grin when Arizona smiled at her and thrust a bouquet of lilies at her. “Thank you, These are my absolute favorite flowers,” Callie pushed her face into the bouquet, letting her eyes close as she breathed in the aroma of them. 

“You're welcome,” Arizona noticed the outfit of the other woman and let herself have an involuntary shudder as she was aware of how beautiful Callie was. She looked up at Callie who was smelling the flowers then opened her eyes and blatantly checked arizona out. Arizona caught it but glanced away not wanting to call the other woman out.

“Come in, let me put these in water and then we can go,” Callie tore her eyes from the other woman then walked into the apartment with Arizona trailing behind. “You look amazing by the way,” Callie turned and flashed her a smile before she walked into the kitchen to begin looking for a vase. Most of her stuff had been inboxed but she was still often trying to find where in her new kitchen she had put things. 

“You don't look so shabby either,” Arizona winked at her and watched as the brunette reached up high for a vase and she couldn't help but notice how callie’s shirt rode up just slightly, making her skin show. Arizona had the immediate desire to touch the skin, she could tell from where she was standing it was soft and just begged her to touch it. She wondered what it would be like to slide in behind the woman, holding her close from behind and let her hand wrap around the brunettes torso as her fingers played with the skin, her nose nuzzling into the brown hair, sweeping it aside while she let her lips trail along the long neck. Yeah that was something she wanted to do sometime in the near future.

“Arizona?” Callie looked at the blonde, standing in her kitchen, zoning off, lips slightly parted. Arizona shook her head slightly and let her eyes meet the brunettes again as she realized her lack of skill in hiding her thoughts.

“Yeah?” Arizona blushed slightly.

“I asked where we were going tonight,” Callie smiled and placed the flowers in the vase then moved them to the dining table before giving them one last smile.

“Well I thought I'd take us to this little restaurant I know about, nothing fancy or anything like that, but it's a nice quiet atmosphere and it will give us a chance to talk. If that's okay with you?”

“It sounds perfect, let me grab my coat and I'll be ready to go,” she loved to the closet and grabbed a black leather jacket out and her purse before turning to the blonde and catching that look on her again. 

Arizona stared at the woman as she put the black leather coat on and once again saw the skin appear, and the thoughts that entered her mind with that skin and that coat was not the sort of thoughts you should be having on a first date. Callie opened the door for them and the blonde exited the apartment first, needing to get to fresh air soon. Callie followed behind the blonde and noticed that the jeans she was wearing were hugging the blondes ass just right, and she couldn't help herself as her eyes stared at the perky butt in front of her, hips swaying as she walked, knee high boots hugging those delicious legs she had drooled over before. Callie stepped up a little quicker so they were beside each other, not wanting to have to stare at that butt any longer, knowing she wasn't allowed to touch it.

Not quite yet anyway. 

Arizona grabbed Callie's hand in her own then looked at the brunette to see she was looking back at her, full smile on her face as they walked. Arizona was glad to feel that Callie's hand was just as damp as her own, and let out a sigh of relief knowing the other woman was just as anxious as her.

Xxxxx

“So why Seattle?” Arizona asked after they were sitting down. Callie had been glancing around the restaurant, it was small, quiet and a little dark, perfect to be in tune with just each other.

“I needed a change. After I broke up with my girlfriend I just needed a change, I wanted to get up and see something other than her face in the hospital each day. So I saw this opportunity and jumped on it.”

“Why'd you break up?”

“I think….we just wanted different things….I was ready to take the next step and she was still very focused on her career. I looked at our relationship and we hadn't progressed much in the years we had been dating, and I couldn't see it ever changing. And for some people, like Erica, that's fine, but I wanted more. I had a drawer at her place and she had one at mine but that was as much as we had ever advanced. I was afraid I'd wake up twenty years from now with a lonely drawer.” Arizona listened intently to the woman and wondered how long they had dated. How long had it taken Callie to give up on her girlfriend. How long had it taken her to realize they weren't going anywhere.

“Were you in love?” Arizona asked and wondered if she had asked too much.

“I think at one point I was, but I really believe that sometimes people move on. Almost...grow up in a sense and fall out of love. I think that's how it was for us. I think we were so in love at one point but as we grew up, got older, finished up residencies and such we just grew apart.”

“Do you resent that she didn't want more.”

“No...I don't think so. I mean some people just want different things, I suppose if I had paid better attention I would have seen it sooner but we were both so busy it just didn't occur to me to try and figure it out quicker.”

“That sounds fair. How was she when you left?”

“Sad, but she understood. We talked about it a lot and she really didn't want me to leave, she really hoped that she would be able to want what I wanted, she was just busy at work. That's what she kept telling me.”

“What did you think?”

“I thought she just wanted things the way they were, she liked her space and I think she wanted what we already had. She didn't feel that need to move on, but I really thought we needed to. Ugh. Enough about Erica. What about you? You and Kate broke up, what happened after that?” Arizona squirmed in her chair, unhappy that the questioning had been turned on her, she like when Callie was the one answering questions.

“Not much really, she moved hospitals, and I just….worked on my department, I've dated some but nothing too serious since then. I find most people want someone to show up on Friday night even if you did work 48 hours straight the previous days. So it's hard to date outside the hospital, but it's nearly impossible to date within too. It's a damned if you do, damned if you don't lifestyle we lead.” Callie smiled, she knew exactly what the blonde meant.

“And Kate? Do you miss her?” Arizona thought about it for a moment then gave it her best shot.

“It's not so much that I miss her, I think I miss who we were years ago. It's hard when two people are working on their own programs to find the time and well, you know, when one of you wants something the other doesn't…”

“Did you love her?”

“Yeah, but apparently not enough. Maybe I just….” Arizona trailed off for a moment.

“What?”

“I don't know that I've ever been really really in love. That love you read about or hear about or see in movies, I just don't think I've ever had that. The type where you can't wait to see the person again and you just left them. The type where you can't sleep at night if they aren't next to you. The kind of love that when you look at the other person, your heart just sings. I've never had that and I don't know if it's because it doesn't really exist, or if I just won't ever have that.” Callie smiled as she listened to the blonde.

“I believe it exists. I have to believe it because it's what I've been looking for and if it doesn't, well that's just a waste. I have to hope it's out there and I just haven't been lucky enough to find it.” Arizona looked at her sadly.

“But what if it downed exist. What if you spend your entire life looking for it and it never shows up?” Arizona asked her quietly and saw that Callie took her time to answer. 

“It does...I know it.” By fell into a small silence as they thought about their conversation. Callie quietly wondering about the blonde and her answers. And Arizona quietly wondering about the brunettes. 

“Do you think Webber is going to extend your contract?” Arizona asked pulling Callie out of her love thoughts.

“Ummm, well I have to hope he does, but I'm not sure at this point. There are five weeks left on my existing contract and I suppose it depends on how he thinks I'm doing towards the end.”

“what will you do if he doesn't ask you back?” Callie shrugged then thought about what the blonde was asking. She didn't want to move. She wanted to stay in Seattle, she liked it there so far, even with her rough start, she was really enjoying it and didn't want to leave. What was she going to do? 

“I have other hospitals that are asking for me, my program has been working so far and I think when people really give it a shot, they will find out it's only beneficial. Let's take you for instance,” the blonde perked up. “You went to school to be a doctor.” Arizona nodded her head.

“Obviously.”

“Well how many of your classes were teaching classes?” Arizona looked at her oddly. “You know, teaching you how to teach?”

“I know how to teach calliope…” Arizona scoffed at her date, slightly miffed that she would imply such a thing.

“I'm sure you do an exceptional job with your residents, but it still doesn't change the fact that we all spent roughly twelve years in college and never once took a class teaching us how to captivate students. The psychology of teaching, the importance of interacting in a positive way with the students. Make no mistake about it, I had some really amazing doctors teaching me and some really horrible ones as well. Just because you know everything about your subject doesn't mean you know how to teach it to others. And I'm not implying that about you, Arizona so stop glaring at me. I'm saying in general, even if you just have one bad cardio surgeon on your program, one that has no interest in teaching, that can drop your cardio residency by as much as fifty percent, which over the course of year ca. Be catastrophic to a program. I'm not here to teach you how to be a better pediatric surgeon, because let's be honest, that's just. It possible, but what I am here to do, is to teach you how to teach other residents how to be a better pediatric resident.” Arizona took it all in and realized it all made perfect sense. The things she was telling her actually sounded very smart. Even though she didn't want to admit that the woman might have a point. 

“So after all that, will you leave?”

“If Webber doesn't extend my contract, I'll have to. I had eight other programs contact me this week, they want me other places so it's not like I won't have anywhere else to go, it's just that I'd rather stay here given the chance,” Arizona peeked up a little and looked at the woman rather coyly. 

“And why do you want to stay here?” She lets her hand linger on top of the brunette’s, barely touching her hand as she tranced little circles on it with her fingertips.

“Well,” Callie leaned in close, and nuzzled into Arizona neck, and gave her a little nibble, “the coffee here is just amazing.” She pulled back with a giant smile on her face as Arizona's mouth dropped open.

“Coffee!?”

“Well yeah, I mean, Seattle is known for the coffee and I really love coffee, so this is just the perfect place for me,” she grinned at the pouting flashing over the blonde. Then she saw the pout change suddenly and Arizona leaned back in, only to kiss the ear of the other woman causing Callie to close her eyes as the blonde took a little tug on her ear with her teeth.

“Is that all you'll miss Calliope?” Arizona whispered into her ear, causing a mountain of goose bumps to erupt on the brunettes skin, Arizona saw them and smiled to herself knowing she had caused the turn in their control at the moment. “Just coffee?”

“Ummm, well, you know...god that...that's nice,” Callie bit her lip and closed her eyes as the blonde let her tongue run the shell of the ear and she was suddenly very happy for the dark restaurant. She shuddered and suddenly pulled back from the blonde to pull herself together only to see the mischievous look the blonde was giving her with a half grin on her face. “You are just pure evil.” 

“I have no idea what you are referring to Calliope,” Arizona removed the napkin from her lap and looked back up at the brunette as she smoothed down her shirt. “I don't suppose I ca interest in you in some coffee? And dessert?” She flashed an even bigger smile as she could tell the brunette was trying to figure out if there was more to the meaning of coffee and dessert or not.

“Ummm, coffee I'm always up for coffee,” Callie threw her napkin down and stood up with the blonde. Arizona grabbed the black leather jacket and helped Callie into it, before grabbing her hand and glancing up to make sure it was okay. She felt around in the hand, noticing it was perfect. So many time you would hold hands with someone and it didn't work, but when they held hands it just worked right each time. She looked at their hands and felt a smile creep up on her face. 

This was nice, was all Arizona could think as they walked out together.


	21. Chapter 21

“Okay, Miss Miami, what's your most favorite dessert?” Arizona asked as they walked along together. “Because I know this little place around the corner that only serves pie and coffee. Interested?” She rose her eyebrows while looking at the brunette.

“Umm, yeah, who wouldn't be?” 

“Well you'd be surprised,” Arizona mumbled as she opened the door for Callie and they walked in together. The little shop was cute with mismatched chairs and oddly painted tables. 

“what's good?” Callie looked up at the menu displayed in front squinting at all the options.

“Well a good old American girl like me loves apple pie with a scoop of vanilla of course, but I have been known to get a slice of French silk on occasion, but you….hmmm what kind would you get,” Arizona tapped her chin with her index finger then glanced at Callie.

“Well? I'm curious what you think I'd pick,” Callie looked at the other woman with amusement. She had picked up over time that Arizona had many different expressions, some of which were more adorable than others. The one she was displaying right now might be one of her favorite yet. 

“Oh that's easy,” Arizona walked up to the counter with every ounce of confidence she had and stood in front of the cashier. Callie watched and wondered what she was going to end up with. “Yes I'll have a slice of apple warmed with ice cream, with a coffee and my friend will have a slice of strawberry with extra whipped cream and a coffee.” Callie stood with her mouth wide open as the blonde displayed a very smug look then walked to a table with Callie trailing behind her in amazement.

“Arizona!”

“Yes?” She sat down very satisfied with herself not daring to look at the brunette.

“Okay, give. How'd you know that's my very favorite pie?”

“Calliope, honey, I can't give away all my secrets, now can I? So tell me more about you. You grew up in Miami, what else?” Callie lowered her eyes as she looked at the other woman wondering what sort of witchcraft the other woman was practicing.

“Hmmm,” she squirmed in her seat for a second then gave up on the pie for a moment. “I grew up in Miami, my parents worked very hard to build an amazing hotel business from nothing, then had my sister, then me. That's about it.”

“Yeah not a chance that's it,” Arizona scoffed as the coffee and pie was put in front of them. She took a big bite from her pie and let out a little moan at how wonderful it was causing Callie to smile at the sound.

“Should I get you and that pie a room?” Callie laughed at her date then took a bite of her own only to let out an equally loud moan. “Oh god I'm sorry, I had no idea it was so good,” she closed her eyes for a moment as she took in the pie then opened them to see the blonde staring at her. 

“You have something, just there,” Arizona pointed and Callie wiped her mouth, “no, just over there...no, okay here,” she leaned on and gave the brunette a kiss just to the side of her mouth, removing the whipped cream. Arizona pulled back for a second only to see the brunette had closed her eyes, so she decided to move back in and gave her a soft kiss on the lips this time. 

“Thanks,” Callie told her when they pulled back. She looked into the blue eyes that were staring back at her. “I'll make sure I take smaller bites from now on.” But Arizona shook her head at the woman. 

“No way, take big bites so I can do that again,” she told the brunette with a smile. “Why'd you think I ordered you extra, calliope?”

“So you plan things like that?” The brunette lifted an eyebrow at the blonde.

“You bet that sweet ass I do,” she laughed and gave her another peck on the lips before pulling back to take another bite. 

“How about you? I already met your parents, which I have to say might have been the worst way ever to meet parents. I'll have to make sure I never run into them again,” Callie said with a laugh and taking another bite but completely missing the look on the blondes face. Did she mean that? Did Callie have no intention of ever meeting her parents again? 

Arizona shook her head as she thought about it. Why would she care if the brunette never met her parents again. She wasn't the type of girl to take girlfriends to meet parents anyway. Really Kate had been the only one to meet her parents and that was probably only because they had dated for such a long time. 

But to hear Callie say she had no intention of meeting her parents again was odd to her. Maybe this was as casual for Callie as it was supposed to be for Arizona. Arizona was anything but serious about other women, so why would this be any different? In fact she was the one that had wanted casual. If she had been on a date with anyone else she wouldn't have batted an eye at what the brunette had said, so why was she taking it to heart this time?

“Arizona?” Callie asked wondering where the blonde had disappeared to.

“Oh, sorry I was lost in thought for a moment,” she took another bite and stared down at her pie a little sad and it didn't go unnoticed by the brunette. She could tell something had happened but she wasn't sure what it was. She thought back and couldn't think of any part of their conversation that seemed odd. Maybe she was just tired, Callie thought to herself and chalked it up as that. 

“You know what Arizona,” she took her last bite and placed her napkin on the table. “I have had a great time, but I have to be in at six tomorrow to observe Derek. Do you mind if we start to head home?”

“Of course not,” Arizona finished up and forced a smile at the brunette as they walked out. She grabbed the brunettes hand, but she could tell things had gotten awkward suddenly. Arizona was lost in her thoughts and Callie seemed to be oblivious as to why.

Xxxxxx

“Your girlfriend is a grade A bitch,”’Arizona looked up to see Derek, Mark and Addison all standing in front of her before setting down their trays and joining her at their normal table.

“I'm not sure to whom you are referring, Derek,” Arizona wasn't sure why Derek was asking her about a girlfriend and she could only assume he meant Callie, but they had only been on one date so far and that certainly didn't make her a “girlfriend” just yet. They hadn't had that conversation and she had no intentions of making it happen anytime soon, especially after last night.

“You know exactly who I am talking about, her,” he said and gestured towards the corner where Callie was just sitting down with Lara, which caused Arizona to scowl. Why was Callie sitting with her instead of Arizona? That didn't make any sense at all. “She is a pain, and I kicked her out of my OR this morning, she is under some grand idea that she can tell me how to perform surgery.”

“Maybe she wasn't telling you how to perform, but rather she was trying to help you teach.”

“I don't need any help teaching, or performing surgery. I have a meeting with Webber this afternoon to file a formal complaint about her, she has to go.” Arizona swallowed thickly as she took in his words. If Derek complained would Webber take him seriously? Did he have enough clout to get rid of her? Arizona didn't want to waste anytime finding out.

“I have to go,” Arizona walked up to Callie and Lara who were in conversation, but what she could pick up on it was all about an upcoming surgery. “Can we talk?” Arizona asked Callie as she stood in front of her. Callie gave her a weird look and then glanced at Lara. “In private please?”

“Oh, uh sure, I'll talk to you later, Lara,” Callie said standing up to feel the blonde yanking her by the coat sleeve and dragging her out of the cafeteria. “Arizona? What's going on?” Callie asked as she was drug down the hall, she could tell the blonde had a fire under her the way she was acting.

“Did you know Derek is going to file a complaint against you?” Arizona asked as she shut the door on them in an in call room.

“What?”

“Apparently you made him mad and he is going to file a complaint against you.”

“No I understood that, I'm just trying to understand why you drug me down here to tell me that.”

“Because he's going to go to Webber and complain!”

“Yeah. So what? I have a contract, there is nothing he can do. Is that all you needed?”

“Is that all I needed? I was just giving you a heads up, I thought you'd like to know instead you act like I'm bothering you.”

“I was talking to Lara about an upcoming surgery we have, we've been talking it though for days now and we might have an answer to make it work. I'm grateful you told me about derek but I can't do much about him. If he wants to complain let him, Webber is happy with my work here and plans haven't changed. I'm grateful for the heads up, but I'm not bothered by complaints.” Arizona stood with her mouth wide open. How could Callie not be affected by the other doctor making complaints. They would go in her file and be there forever.

“But...don't you care?”

“Of course on a personal level I care but I can't change his mind until he chooses to change it. I can only try to help Derek along the way and if he doesn't want the help, that's on him. Let me ask you this, how many residents does derek have working under him?” 

“One.”

“And how many do you have?”

“Four with the possibility of two more.”

“And Bailey?”

“Three.”

“Teddy?”

“Four.”

“Exactly. Why do you think that is?” Callie waited a second then started talking again. “Guys like him think the hospital revolves around him. That we should all bow down because he is an amazing surgeon. But so what? This is a teaching hospital and he needs to act like it. It's his job to teach and he isn't doing that.”

“Have you thought that maybe you could change how…”

“Arizona! No. I don't need to change. He does. This is on him, he needs to be a better teacher or the program is going to suffer. You all need to decide are you an amazing teaching hospital with the best program the country has to offer? Or are you a mediocre hospital that teaches?” Callie raised her eye at the blonde then walked out of the room leaving the blonde wondering what had happened. 

The thought of Callie getting called into webber’s office later in the day made her cringe and was glad she wasn't the brunette. She didn't understand why the brunette couldn't just change things up a little to make everyone happy. How hard would it be?

 

Xxxxxxx

“Dr Torres, glad you could join me,” Dr Webber looked ominous sitting behind his desk, the hospital sprawling out behind him. Callie looked at the bustle of the doctors and nurses, residents and interns as they all came and went, charts in hands, places to be, patients to see. She loved this. 

“Of course, sir. What can I do for you?” She knew what this was about thanks to the blonde's heads up earlier in the day but it didn't make it any easier. 

“I had to call him you in, I'm sure you've heard about Dr Shepherd. How have you been doing? Are you settling in?”

Callie scrunched up her face and tried to understand what was about to happen. She had been convinced she was going to get a stern lecture from her boss about one of the most important doctors in the hospital but now she wasn't so sure.

“Yes, things are going well.”

“And you found a place to live?” He shuffled some papers on his desk glancing up at her as he spoke.

“Yes, sir.”

“Oh that's good, that's good. Well I for one think you're doing amazing work here and I just wanted to let you know you have my full support.”

“sir?” Callie stood with her mouth open as she looked at the man.

“That's it. I just wanted to let you know you're doing great.”

“But...what about Shepherd?”

“What about him? He's an amazing surgeon but that doesn't mean he doesn't have skills he could still learn. Keep on doing what you're doing, we are going to turn this hospital around, I just know it. We will be number one again and I know you are going to be the one to help us get there.” 

Callie straightened up, squaring off her shoulders and feeling herself grow about three inches in height as she felt pride take over.

“Thank you sir.”

“Of course and just between you and me. I don't see any reason why we won't be renewing that contract when it's up in a month, but next time, let's make for a little longer. At least a year, or who knows, maybe we can talk full time staff.”

“Yes, of course sir, thank you,” Callie turned on her heel before the man changed his mind and left the room. She closed the door and stood on the outside of the room a smile growing on her face as she stood. She had done it. She had somehow convinced the one person she needed to that she was worth it.

Now, she needed to find the blonde and apologize about earlier in the day. And also see if another date was a possibility. She needed to celebrate.


	22. Chapter 22

Arizona fell back onto her couch with a loud sigh, letting the day escape her body when she felt the soft cushions against her back. Her hair was pulled up into a messy bun, strands falling out haphazardly in the haste of putting it up and getting it off her neck after a long day. Comfy yoga pants and her new favorite sweatshirt were on, the sweatshirt bringing a small amount of comfort even though it represented what she was upset about. But she tucked that away and chose to ignore it for the comfort and warmth it was bringing her because it also brought her a bit of anxiety. 

She pulled out the remote and flipped a few times before she heard a knock at the door. She was in no mood to see anyone right now and decided to just ignore it, they couldn’t possibly need anything from her, if they did her phone and pager would be going off. She pulled her afghan over her legs and snuggled into the cushions a little harder when she heard the second knock. It was probably for Teddy and she was at the hospital, no one ever came looking for Arizona. Then she heard her phone vibrate and let out a small growl while she rolled eyes when she saw who it was calling and she knew who was on the other side of that door.

“I know you’re in there Arizona, come on,” She heard and realized the other person wasn’t going to leave. Flinging her cover off and walking towards the door she tried to gather her composure before opening the barrier between them at the moment, at least the one physical barrier.

Arizona opened the door and saw it confirming it was the one person she didn't want to see standing on the other side and immediately shut the door, but not before a foot could be thrust in the small space.

“Arizona….”

 

“Can I help you?” Arizona asked distantly, the chain still looping across the open space. She felt proud of herself for this move because it said, I’m talking to you, but I am in control.

“Hey, um yeah, well I just wanted to stop by and say I’m really sorry for today,” the brunette said and held up a bag filled with things Arizona couldn’t quite see. “I brought you some of your favorite things…” Callie looked hopeful, puppy dog eyes pulled out as she stared at the blonde from between the space.

“What do you want, Callie?” Arizona wasn’t having it, but she did catch herself looking at that bag, she could almost make out a few things sticking out of it and she chastised herself for wanting to know what else was in it.

“I wanted to come and apologize to you for today, I know when you came to me and warned me about Derek you were just being nice and I brushed you off. So please can I come in? Give me a chance to apologize appropriately?” Arizona stared at the brunette, trying her best to keep a straight face.

“What's in the bag?” Arizona looked towards it then back up at the brunette. Callie looked tired, and if Arizona had to guess Callie was closing in on a headache, Arizona could tell the way Callie scrunched up her eyes when she was stressed. This was something she already knew about the brunette. It had only been a handful of weeks and she already knew this about her, and she resented herself for knowing this. 

“I'm not telling you what's in the bag if you aren't going to let me in,” Callie pulled the bag in tightly, a small smile on her face. “You have to let me in if you want to see what's in here.”

“Meh, I'm sure it's nothing,” Arizona’s nonchalance was showing but she really wanted to look in that bag, she couldn't help it.

“Oh I promise you will like everything in the bag, it's all your favorites,” Callie taunted her with the bag pulled tightly to her chest as she wiggled her eyebrows a bit hoping the blonde would give in and allow her in the apartment. “Please?” Arizona rolled her eyes again as she closed the door to let the chain fall, why was she doing this, she asked herself, but she knew exactly why she was doing it. She liked the brunette and she couldn't help it. As much as she was kicking herself right now for giving in so easy she just couldn't help it. The brunette had a pull on her and there wasn't much she could do about it.

“I’ll give you ten minutes, but then you have to leave,” Arizona told her opening the door and walking away from the brunette, leaving her still standing outside the apartment.

Callie quickly caught up to what the blonde was telling her, walking quickly into the apartment and closing the door behind her.

“Look, I’m really sorry for today, I know you were just trying to help and I didn't listen to you and for that I'm sorry. I blew you off and that was wrong of me and I just want to tell you how sorry I am. So I stopped and got a few things in hopes that you would let me in and you can have all the items with or without me, I'll leave that up to you….wait is that my…” Callie scrunched up her face and pointed towards Arizona. Arizona's eyes grew big and she knew just what the brunette was going to say so she cut her off before she had the chance.

“What did you bring?” Arizona sat on the couch, pulled her legs up under her and brought the cover back over her legs in a desperate attempt to hide a little.

“Well,” Callie looked back in the bag. “First up I got you some flowers because you can't say you're sorry to a woman without flowers,” Callie pulled a large bouquet out of the bag, a smile going to both their faces as the flowers immediate cheered up the room. 

“Beautiful…” Arizona reached for the flowers, taking a large sniff of them, eyes closed as she did. “Anything else or is that all you got?”

“Pffft, please,” Callie rolled her eyes and reached back in the bag pulling out a small box.

“What's that?” Arizona asked, intrigued even though she was certain she knew.

“Well I went to that little pie shop and I got six different slices of pie. I got an apple and French silk because you already told me those are your favorite but then I got you a few others just for good measure,” Callie smiled at her and waited for the reaction.

“I do like pie,” Arizona grabbed the box from the brunette and opened it, smiling at the slices staring back up at her. “Strawberry?” She looked over her lids at the other woman who was smiling sheepishly back at her.

“In case you let me in.” She shrugged.

“So you bought pie for you?”

“Would you eat all that pie in front of me?” Arizona looked up at the ceiling biting her lip then back at Callie.

“No I suppose not. What else?”

“Well you can't just eat pie so I stopped and got some Thai food for us,” she removed a few containers and placed them on the table next to Arizona.

“You're like Mary poppins with that bag,” she giggled as she sat up and opened one of the boxes of food. “Mmmm, so good. I'm starving.”

“Almost done,” Callie reached in and pulled out a bottle of white wine and a bottle of red holding them out.

“You know darn well I don't like red,” Arizona raised her eye brow.

“Yeah but I do, and this was another in case you let me stay gift for you but for me,” Callie wagged her eyebrows again. “So what do you say? Dinner? Wine? Pie? Or did you have plans?” Callie looked at the blonde. “Seriously, is that my…”

“I'll get plates,” Arizona cut her off again taking off for the kitchen to grab what they needed. “Can you change the channel for me? Find something for us to watch while I get what we need?” Arizona called out hoping the brunette would leave it alone.

“Sure,” Callie sat down on the couch and flipped through a few stations until she finally settled on a movie. Arizona came back in the room, and grabbed the bottles of wine while Callie dished up the food. Finally Arizona sat down next to Callie and gave her a smile. “Seriously I'm sorry about today. I know this doesn't make up for it, but this was my peace offering.”

“What a date in my apartment doesn't make up for you being an ass?” Arizona laughed at the brunette and grabbed a plate.

“A date in your apartment while you're wearing my sweatshirt does sort of count as a make up.” Callie said but didn't look at the blonde. “How are you wearing my sweatshirt anyway?”

“You left it at the hotel and I packed it with my stuff. It sat there for a little bit and then I just started wearing it, I like it, it's super comfy so don't think it's going home with you anytime soon.”

“Hmmm,” Callie took a bite and looked at the tv. “Maybe one day I'll need something clean to wear and I can wear it home,” she didn't look back at Arizona, but they both knew exactly what the brunette meant by the statement. “besides it looks cute on you, I think I like you in my sweater.”

“Yeah?” Arizona looked at the woman and smiled, she had a small blush on her face as she spoke, a little unsure of what the other woman would think about her wearing the shirt. 

“Yeah,” Callie smiled back and looked back at her food not wanting to say too much.

“I was upset today for a few reasons, one was that derek came to me and told me and he called you my girlfriend and I wondered if..” Arizona trailed off.

“What?”

“I mean we've only really gone on one date..”

“Two if we count this,” Callie told her.

“Fine, two but that's not much.”

“But we've slept together,” Callie interjected with a smile.

“But not really slept together...in the sense of you know…” 

“We shared a bed,” Callie mocked her, eyebrows up as she sat back and looked at the blonde.

“But not...really.”

“Oh,” Callie sat up straight and looked back at her plate. “Never mind.”

“What?” Arizona asked not sure what had just happened.

“Nothing. Do you mind if I switch the channel? I've seen this one,” Callie picked up the remote but a fair hand was on top of hers as soon as she touched it.

“What?” Arizona asked. “What happened.”

“You don't like me, in the sense of you know...like me, like me. And I get it, it's okay.”

“Where are you getting that from? I've told you I like you.”

“Maybe, but I can tell you're holding back. You always seem to hold back with me and I just...I try and I have to let you know. I wear my heart on my sleeve, that's me Arizona, if I like a person I'm going to tell them and I'm going to try and I will try hard because when I'm in it, that's it, I'm in it. I don't cheat I don't look back I don't regret, I go full on Hurricane Callie. And I fall sometimes, and when I do it hurts. And I just want you to know, I like you, a lot and I thought we were going to give this a shot, but everytime I think we are getting somewhere you hold back. And I can't…”

“You're leaving,” Arizona cut in and Callie looked at her not sure what she meant. “In a few weeks, you are leaving, your contract will be up and I'm scared to like you too much. Because I already like you a lot. Way more than I should and that scares me because I don't want you to move and me be here. I don't want my girlfriend to have to move to Cleveland. Okay? Do you get it? I'm scared to do this with you because you are leaving and I'm not. This is my home, this is my job.”

“But what if I don't leave?”

“I can't play Russian roulette with you here Callie. You might leave, you might stay, but my heart won't survive if I give it all to you and you leave. Do you see? I don't want to have to pick up pieces when you leave.”

“But I might not leave.”

“But you might not stay.”

“But I might stay.”

“Callie! I'm telling you I like you, but I'm going to hold back. I just am. If you leave and go on to another hospital I will be here and you will be there and I don't do long distance, so I'm going to hold back.”

“but what if I told you I was going to stay?”

“Don't do that Callie, don't tell me something you don't know just to crush me later on. You don't know.”

“but what if I do?” Callie was sitting back, hands folded as she listened to the blonde. She knew just what Arizona was telling her and why. She understood where she was coming from, but she also wanted to tell her what Webber had said before she left the hospital.

“I told you already I'm not into playing games. I'd like to date you but that's it for now.”

“You aren't hearing me Arizona, what if I stay?” Callie cocked an eyebrow, sitting up a little in hopes that the blonde would finally hear what she was saying. 

“Wait… do you know something?” Arizona was on full alert.

“Maybe. But maybe I'm not supposed to say anything to anyone but maybe I'm saying. What. If. I. Stay?” Arizona's mouth fell open then closed, then opened again as she took in the words.

“Well then...that's a whole different ball game isn't it?” Arizona asked quietly looking at the brunette.

“I like you Arizona. A lot. And I don't want to miss out on a chance with you because we were scared or because we didn't try hard enough. I can promise you a few things. I will screw up, but I won't mean to, and I'll always come bearing gifts when I do and I'll apologize. But I will never intentionally hurt you. So please, can you give us a chance? A full chance?”

Arizona looked at the brunette, they were sitting close on the couch now, and she could see the sincerity on Callie's face as she spoke. She knew the other woman was being open and honest with and she deserved for Arizona to do the same.

“Yeah, I think I can manage that. On one condition though.”

Callie quirked an eyebrow up. “What?”

“I keep the sweatshirt,” Arizona said with a smile as she leaned in closer the the brunette.

“Deal, because you in my sweatshirt. Super hot.” Callie smiled and closed the distance between them before finally kissing the lips of the blonde.

“Yeah?” Arizona asked pulling back a little.

“Oh, yeah. Super hot,” Callie leaned back in and kissed the blonde again.


End file.
